


Twin Fire Souls

by JenniM777



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Lance (briefly), Blood, Dark Magic, M/M, Mentions minor blood and gore, Sick Keith (Voltron), Soulmates, Torture, Violence, klance, mentions vomiting, minor original characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2019-08-23 02:56:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 36,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16610555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniM777/pseuds/JenniM777
Summary: Everyone said Keith and Lance were complete opposites; Red and Blue, fire and ice, hot and cold. And they weren’t wrong but what they didn’t know was that they were also the same. They both burned with a fire deep inside. The red lion chose both of them for a reason. They were connected in a way that no one could ever comprehend, connected in a way that even they could not understand. They were indeed Keith and Lance. Twin fire souls….four blue eyes….and when they finally realize the potential they have together they will either burn their enemies to save the universe or burn the universe to save each other.





	1. The Poison in Your Veins

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't going to start a new story until I finished the one I currently have in progress. But this idea popped into my head and I can't let it go and now it's taken a life of its own. 
> 
> The title is sort of taken from a line in a Taylor Swift song, but it is in no way related to the song itself.   
> The original line is "Twin fire signs, Four blue eyes." When I first heard the song I thought she was saying twin fire souls and I heard the song again the other day and I wondered what would entail something like fire souls and here is the result.
> 
> If you're interested the song is State of Grace by Taylor Swift. Again there is no relevance to the story other than the words sort of resonated with me in a purely klance way.

The small planet of Bingjhi had been hard to liberate. But it was done. It took the combined effort of Voltron and Atlas to bring down the Galra and fighter ships surrounding the small planet. The most bizarre part of the rescue effort was that the Galra hadn’t even stepped one foot on the planet, the takeover was done completely from the outer edges of the planet’s atmosphere blocking off all outer trading from other quadrants.  They were all exhausted by the end of the battle. The MFE pilots were back on Atlas recharging their fighter jets, and the Paladins had landed near the capital while the inhabitants cheered for their newfound freedom.

Lance was just stepping out of the red lion when Pidge spoke over the coms, “92.7% breathable atmosphere.”

“Excellent!” Lance felt instant relief as the air hit his face. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be disgusted at the sweat drying on his skin. The battle had been intense and sometimes a paladin just needed a bit of fresh air.

He picked up the pace just a bit to catch up with Hunk and Allura when he noticed Keith leaving the black lion, helmet already in his arm and stumbling a bit down the ramp. Lance chose not to say anything, they were all battle worn and who was he to judge when they had all just spent vargas, or was it phoebes? Maybe it was decaphoebes or movements? Hell it could have been days for all he knew. Even the way his muscles ached told him it had been too long, so just this once he was gonna let the fact that their normally graceful leader stumbled a bit.

Instead he grinned a bit and nudged Keith just as he caught up to him. “Look alive Samurai!”

Keith gave a soft huff and strode past Lance to stand next to Allura just as she was speaking with some of the Bingjhi nobles. They were very tall and slender with distinct almond shaped eyes. Their skin was very dark and had the look of worn leather. They had no hair and pointed ears that were a cross between elf ears and Altean ears, and when they smiled their teeth were pearly white with a sharp set of incisors that made Lance instantly think vampire. But overall they were a beautiful species.

Lance watched as one of the nobles stretched a hand towards Allura. “I am Elias and this is my partner Oshi. We are thankful for the help of Voltron and we are forever indebted to you.”

Allura smiled and took the proffered hand. “There is no debt. Voltron will always help those in need.” Lance tuned out as Allura took the lead and introduced the paladins, offering a wave when his name was mentioned.

Lance focused back on the conversation as Allura wrapped up the introductions, “And this is Keith, the black paladin and leader of Voltron.”

Keith shook hands with Elias, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”                                                                                        

Elias and Oshi both bowed to the paladins, “The pleasure is ours. And to offer thanks we would like to welcome you to our table to feast with us.” “Oh man!” Hunk was grinning, “I hope that smell is the feast because I am hungry.” At the same time Pidge and Keith both inhaled but Lance frowned as Keith swayed and grabbed onto Hunks arm.

“Sorry Hunk, I don’t….” Hunk shifted as Keith stumbled and caught him just before his knees gave out completely, “Keith are you okay? Were you hurt in the battle?”

Keith shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, “No, I’m just lightheaded, nauseous all of a sudden.” Lance was getting concerned. If Keith was feeling bad enough to lose his balance and show it in front of newly liberated inhabitants, it must be bad.

Pidge was pulling out a scanner and her words echoed some of the thoughts Lance had been having, “He doesn’t have a concussion and he’s not showing any signs of internal bleeding. It could just be fatigue from the battle.”

Oshi stepped forward but Lance noticed there was some sort of look that was shared between them and Elias, “Perhaps it would be best to delay the feast for a couple of hours so the paladins are able to rest. It will be of no trouble.” Keith nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form a word he fell to his knees and gagged. Pidge was on her knees next to Keith still running scans.

There was a loud hiss from Elias and a hard look in his eyes. He glared at Allura then the rest in turn before stopping his gaze on Keith and kicked dirt towards him, “Galra scum!”

There was a collective gasp among the crowd that had gathered and some murmuring. Allura walked forward and came face to face with Elias, “Yes, Keith is part Galra, and I will remind you that he is the leader of Voltron and helped save your planet.”

Lance and Hunk shifted instinctively to block Keith from the restless crowd while Pidge stayed next to him trying to figure out what was going wrong with him.

Elias remained in place, “He is Galra and he will die.”

Lance and Hunk were ready. As soon as the Bingjhi people grabbed their spears to aim them at Keith their bayards were drawn and Allura and Pidge were next to them their bayards ready for battle to protect their leader.

Pidge spoke first, “How did you know he was Galra?”

Elias’ voice was hard, “Do you not think we wouldn’t have a fail-safe in place? Why do you think there were no Galra on the planet? Our atmosphere is poisonous to them. The only reason your leader is not dead yet is because he is only partial Galra. Whatever his other composition, it is saving him thus far.”

Lance’s aimed his bayard at Elias, “What do you mean poisonous?”

“Just what I told you red paladin, we have created a way to infuse our atmosphere with a combination of gases that are lethal to Galra only. A full Galra would have died immediately. They have learned this through their own trial and error and so the only way to contain our planet was to surround it as you saw.”

Lance was furious, “and you didn’t think to mention this tidbit of information to us?”

Elias tilted his head towards Keith, “Did you not think to inform us that one of your own was Galra? But it is of no consequence to me red paladin, because your black paladin will soon be dead.”

“Like hell he will.” Lance’s bayard hummed as the rifle charged, “Pidge, let Coran and Shiro know we need the Atlas nearby for backup. Keith will need a pod and we’ll need an extraction plan for the black lion.  Allura, you and Hunk will need to provide me with cover in case any of these idiots try to stop me. I’m taking Keith to the red lion. She’s the fastest and we don’t have much time.”

Hunk and Allura parted just enough for Lance to walk backwards, eyes still on the Bingjhi. Elias raised a hand and spears were raised and no longer pointed at Keith but Lance didn’t trust them. He knelt next to Keith and noticed just how pale he was. His forehead was damp and his hair was sticking to his face and neck from sweat, his breathing was labored and he was leaning heavily on Pidge.

Lance glanced up at Pidge, “What’s our status?”

“Atlas is in range, Coran has the med-bay on full alert and MFE’s should be here…scrap that, MFE’s are in atmosphere and on stand-by.”

Lance looked up just as the MFE’s hovered close enough to fire on the Bingjhi if they stopped the paladins from leaving. He nodded once and leaned towards Keith, “How you feeling buddy?”

Keith blinked slowly, “Lousy.”

Lance gave a soft hmm, “I know but we’re gonna get you outta here real soon.”

Lance shifted his rifle and grabbed Keith’s arm, “Pidge help me get him standing. Once we get him up get to your lions and we can get out of here.”

Before they could get Keith on his feet he fell forward and Lance had to drop his bayard to catch him. The result was Keith’s face buried in Lance’s neck, his breath coming in harsh gasps and his hand trying to gain purchase on the smooth metal of Lance’s armor. Lance was so focused on Keith’s well-being he missed the murmurs of the Bingjhi. There was a ripple of awe as the Bingjhi muttered the same thing over and over.

When Lance was finally able to help Keith to his feet he saw Oshi’s face looking at him with something like awe and there appeared to be tears on her face. Elias face was twisted into a deep scowl, “You did not tell us you were Bingh-Mahn-Na.”

Pidge stood to the right of Keith, “What does that even mean?”

Elias’ dark face was turning darker by the minute and his voice was getting louder, “Do not play the fool paladins! You brought this Galra filth to our planet and just as he is close to death you show us the Bingh-Mahn-Na between him and your red paladin. Have you freed us just to condemn us to certain death?”

Lance huffed and shifted to get a better grip on both his bayard and Keith, “I don’t have time for this nonsense. Allura, find out what you can about whatever they’re talking about but I need to get Keith to the Atlas.”

Elias sneered, “There is no cure for your pet Galra.”

Oshi placed her hand on Elias’ arm, “But they are Bingh-Mahn-Na.”

Elias jerked his arm from Oshi, “Do not speak another word lest you condemn us to certain death.”

“And if we do nothing we will most certainly die. Do you not know what this means? What they mean?”

Elias snarled at Oshi, “Do not presume to tell me what I know. We do nothing. The Galra half-breed dies.”

Lance growled and in a blink of an eye his bayard shifted from its normal form of a rifle to the Altean broadsword. Before anyone had time to react, the point of it was at Elias’ neck and there was a pinprick of blood starting to form. “I have had enough of your cryptic words and riddles. But you mark my words here and now. If Keith dies I will gut you through and through. And when I’m done with you I will move on to the next and the next until there is nothing left of your people. Do you understand me?”

Oshi stepped forward, “There is something.”

Lance took one step back and with a flick of his wrist aimed his sword at Oshi, “Not another step.”

At that moment Allura moved to Lance’s side and placed a hand on his to lower his sword, “Lance, let her speak.”

“Allura, we don’t have time. You heard what they said, Keith is dying and if we don’t get him to a pod soon….”

Allura smiled, but it was soft and almost sad, “I know. But I feel we should let Oshi speak.”

Allura nodded her head at Oshi and she took a tentative step forward. “What Elias said was true, because the poison was created and is not a natural poison, there is no known cure. But we created one in case there were other species that it would harm.”

Elias was furious, “Oshi, you dare defy my command? Have I told you to not speak another word?”

Oshi turned and glared at Elias, “And you Elias, you dare defy the sanctity of the Bingh-Mahn-Na? You dare rebuke the law of the elders?”

“He is Galra!”

Oshi seemed to grow taller at that moment to Lance she looked as fearsome as Allura did when angered, “Yes. He is Galra. But I invoke the right of the elders and you will be punished accordingly for breaking the fire.”

“You cannot.”

“You will find Elias, that I can and I will.” Oshi snapped her fingers and several guards came forward and pushed Elias to his knees and placed cuffs on his wrists.

Oshi turned back to Lance, “Please red paladin, hear me out. Elias was correct, a pod will not help. There is a cure, but I am the only one with the knowledge of it.”

Lance still had his sword trained on Oshi, “I’m listening.”

Oshi nodded and pulled something from inside of her belt. It was a small bag with what looked like ten or twelve rocks. They were a pearly white color and the size of large marbles. Oshi handed the bag to Allura, “These are the only available antidotes on hand. As your friend is not full Galra he should only need three, but he must be taken away from this atmosphere immediately and as soon as he is in a pure air environment give him one. At exactly twelve hours give him the second, and at exactly twenty four hours the third.”

Allura nodded. “Thank you Oshi.”

Lance was getting impatient; Keith’s breathing was getting more labored and his skin was extremely clammy. Lance flicked his sword, “Don’t thank her yet. She’s coming with us and if this doesn’t work she will be the first to go.”

Oshi bowed her head and pulled something from around her neck. It was a silver necklace with an intricate looking pendant. She gently reached for one of Keith’s hands even as Lance pushed the point of his sword into the side of her neck, but not enough to draw blood. “I promise to both you and your Bingh-Mahn-Na that this will work. It will be an excruciating recovery for your black paladin, but he will recover. If he does not I will face your judgment without complaint.”

“And how do I know you aren’t lying?”

“I cannot lie when I am making a promise on my life force.”

There was a collective gasp throughout the Bingjhi and Lance watched as the silver necklace that Oshi placed in Keith’s hand let out a pulse of silver that wrapped around both him and Keith. His eyes were still skeptical but he lowered his sword, “Fine, Allura put her in cuffs. She’s with you. I’m taking Keith now. Hunk, Pidge, cover me until I get to red.”

Several things happened next. The first was that Lance realized Keith was no longer able to stand on his own much less walk to his lion so he was forced to carry Keith. The second thing that happened was an earth shattering roar and the black lion landed directly in front of Lance and lowered her head to meet Lance’s eyes. The third thing that happened was the red lion’s particle barrier went up and she shut down completely. The fourth and final thing that happened was a series of images that flickered through the paladins' minds.

Hunk was the first one to speak, “What does that mean? Why did red shut down?”

Pidge grabbed Lance’s arm, careful not to disrupt his grip on Keith, “Green is the next fastest, lets go.”

Allura stopped them both, “No. Lance I think we both know what this means.”

Lance’s face was unnaturally pale as he swallowed, “But Keith is the black paladin.”

Allura smiled, “Yes and you are his second in command. And right now our leader is very ill. Black has chosen you.”

Hunk and Pidge were standing side by side. Hunk gripped his bayard, “does this mean Keith isn’t going to….”

Allura shook her head, an icy resolve in her eyes. “No, it just means that Lance is in charge until Keith is better.”

Pidge gulped, “but what about the red lion?”

Lance thought back to the images he had seen. Red had shown him a series of events, all of which included fire and burning and screaming people. She had shown him what she would do if Oshi was lying and Keith did not get better. One way or another he would be back to get red and it was up to Oshi’s so called antidote as to whether or not it would be under good terms.  



	2. Winning the Battle But Losing Composure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing too graphic but in case anyone has any triggers there is brief mention of vomiting.

Lance watched as the black lion opened her mouth. His insides were shaking. His hands were shaking. He felt as if he could just fall apart at the clear implications of this moment and he was drowning in doubt and insecurity. It wasn’t until he felt Keith take a gasping breath that he was brought back to the severity of the moment. Keith was struggling to breathe and Lance was just standing around like nothing was wrong. He pushed all of his conflicting emotions to the side and settled Keith on a small make-shift cot and as soon as he sat in the pilot seat Lance was surrounded by an all-encompassing feeling of strength, power, and ferocity. He held his breath as he realized this is what the black lion was. Where Blue was calm and tranquil like water, and Red was fast and furious like an out-of-control fire, Black was fierce and formidable. She was power to the fullest extent and Lance was holding that power in his hands as he gripped the controls and headed straight for the Atlas and it terrified him.

As soon as Black landed, Lance already had Keith in his arms and was met by Shiro and Coran. Shiro didn’t hesitate in taking Keith from Lance’s hold but there was confusion and a bit of awe in his voice as he spoke, “Lance, the black lion, how?”

Lance could only shake his head as he followed, “I don’t know. But right now we need to worry about Keith. Allura should be along soon with the antidote.”

“I’m here Lance.”

Lance turned briefly to see Allura thrusting the bag of white looking rocks at Coran but kept pace with Shiro as they got Keith to the med-bay. Coran was nodding along as Allura recited back word for word the directions from Oshi about giving Keith the antidote. He looked up as Allura introduced Oshi and as Coran went to undo the cuffs Lance shouted at him, “Do not undo those! She is not here as a guest.”

Shiro’s voice was oddly gentle as he placed Keith on one of the beds, “Lance I’m sure that’s not necessary.” Lance turned to give him a hard look, “She’s part of the reason Keith is in the condition he’s in. As soon as they knew he was Galra they could have given us help immediately but they did nothing. _She_ did nothing. She stays cuffed until Keith is healed.”

Shiro looked as if he was going to argue with Lance but something in his look made Shiro back off. Instead he and Lance removed Keith’s armor as Coran listened and performed each one of Oshi’s painstaking instructions for preparing the antidote.

Once Keith had been settled and Coran was coming forward with a large syringe to inject the antidote, Lance took a step back. He didn’t realize he was standing next to Oshi and somehow managed not to jump in shock when she spoke to him. “The antidote will work.” Lance looked at her but didn’t reply. Oshi took a deep breath and continued, “You must understand that your Bing-Mahn-Na will undergo a difficult recovery. The only way to rid one’s body of the poison is out. He will be ill with fever and chills; he will more than likely lose bodily functions as his body fights to remove the toxins. It will not be pleasant. The first twelve hours before the second dose will render him as useless as a newborn babe and it is important that anyone with any sort of illness must not come in contact with him as his immune system will be severely compromised during the healing process.”

Lance moved away from Oshi and sat in a chair near Keith while Coran questioned Oshi, “Did you say Bing-Mahn-Na?”

The others had made it back to the Atlas and Pidge was hovering nearby, “You keep saying that but what does it mean?”

Oshi tilted her head in thought then blinked slowly, “we do not have words that would translate what it means in your tongue.”

Coran was setting a few monitors on Keith and spoke while he worked, “We were told a bit of the legends of Bing-Mahn-Na on Altea.”

Oshi seemed surprised by this, “You know of the legend?”

“Oh yes. In fact it on Altea it was more of something to come instead of folk-lore or legend.”

Pidge pushed her glasses up, “So what do Alteans believe about the Bing-Mahn-Na?”

“Well,” Coran paused as he pressed a few more buttons, “As I understand it the word Bing-Mahn-Na doesn’t have a translation as Oshi said. However the literal translation word for word is soul-fire-two. The best Alteans have concluded is that it means two souls of the same fire or twin fire souls.” Oshi nodded at Coran’s explanation, “That sounds like a very accurate description.”

Shiro was listening as well even though he was hovering near Keith, “Bing-Mahn-Na almost sounds Oriental in nature but Earth civilization hasn’t been around long enough for it to make any sort of impact this far into the universe.”

Coran shook his head, “No I’m afraid not. To my understanding it’s been around since the beginning of time.” Pidge had pulled out her handheld tablet and began typing, possibly taking notes, “Then how did the legend get started and what does it have to do with Keith and Lance? If it’s so important why didn’t the Bingjhi do anything to help Keith as soon as they realized what was happening?”

Oshi took a deep breath, “If you like I will tell you the Bingjhi’s story of the Bing-Mahn-Na.”

Everyone nodded and so Oshi began:

_Long before many of the planets were formed there was a whisper of a great power. This power was something never heard of or seen before. It was called Mahn, the power of internal fire. This power was different from fire used for warmth or cooking. Mahn, unlike natural fire, had the power to create or to destroy but Mahn was unable to be used by just anyone. It was said that there were two beings foretold to be able to harvest the power of Mahn. These two would come from distant lands unheard of and with that power they would be able to save many worlds. The power to use the Mahn would come deep from the inner body, deeper than the inner quintessence, deeper than the heart of hearts. These two would be connected by Mahn, by fire. They will be the same; the inner heart of these two will be identical. They will burn with an intensity that will destroy their enemies or create life for the innocent that has been destroyed. Separate they will be formidable but together they will be unstoppable._

_Bingjhi history tells of only one Bing-Mahn-Na. Their origin will be unknown but they will be known by the fire within. The Bing-Mahn-Na will have a connection with each other that is unlike anything known before. Many speculate the connection will be a deep-rooted friendship and others believe it will be battle forged, honed from closeness of fighting battles together and trust formed by years of teamwork. It is believed that when the connection is at its peak there will be no words needed for communication between the two of them.  Behavior and actions will be instinctual._

_There is also the fear that because the Bing-Mahn-Na are so much alike that they won’t be compatible. Because of the fire they will cause discord, they will not get along, and that they will cause more destruction instead of doing any good. Their fire-like tempers will be cause for strife and quarrels. There are those who fear the Bing-Mahn-Na will bring about the destruction of the universe and that they are evil._

Before Oshi could get much further into her explanation Keith took a gasping breath and began to choke. Lance moved quickly from the chair he was sitting in and reached for Keith helping him to lean forward. As he did Keith began heaving and Shiro was right there shoving an empty trash bin into Lance’s outstretched hand.

Lance was starting to panic. He vaguely remembered Oshi telling him that Keith would get violently ill and would have to rid his body of the toxins but as he and Shiro continued to support his weight he was rattled by the amount that Keith was still releasing several minutes later. It was one thing to see someone fighting a common cold when they were releasing the contents of their stomach, but it was completely horrifying when it was poison induced. Lance felt as if it was never-ending and he couldn’t even begin to imagine the discomfort that Keith was in at the moment.

There was a slight moment of reprieve when Keith stopped and slumped sideways against Lance as Shiro left to clean the trash bin. Lance turned to find Hunk and Pidge hovering close by. Pidge was holding a wet cloth which Lance took and began to wipe Keith’s face.  Once he was done he noticed Keith’s eyes were open but just barely. They were glassy and slightly unfocussed but Lance hoped Keith was coherent enough to get some sort of response.

“Hey buddy, you wanna try to drink some water?”

Lance waited and finally just the smallest of movement from Keith acknowledging that he had heard. Lance shifted Keith just a bit and held the water to his mouth. He only let Keith take a few small sips before pulling the cup away and that earned him a distressed noise. “I know, I know. But I can’t let you have too much or you’ll just end up bringing it back up again. We gotta go slow.”

Just as Lance turned to put the water he had been holding on the bedside table, Keith slid forward and landed on his knees and began heaving violently once again. Lance was no longer slightly panicked; instead he was full on losing his shit. He turned to Oshi and screamed, “Is there anything you can do to stop this?”

“It is the nature of the poison and its reaction to the antidote.”

Lance let out a sound that could only be described as a growl, “He can’t even keep down a few sips of water. This isn’t healthy.”

Amidst all the chaos the doors to the med-bay swung open and Krolia barged in with Allura directly behind her. Her face radiated anger but morphed quickly to concern as soon as she saw Keith on the floor, Lance next to him doing his best to keep his body from collapsing completely.

Oshi let out a startled hiss and harsh gasp of words, “You have more Galra here.”

Lance glared at her from his position on the floor next to Keith, “Yea we do. She’s Keith’s mother and you get the honor of telling her how your people were going to let her son die just because he’s part Galra.”

Oshi’s face paled considerably and Lance felt a bit of smug satisfaction at the fear she was showing when Krolia bared her teeth at Oshi and let out a hiss of her own.

Oshi stumbled back a few steps and Lance turned back to Keith, helping Krolia get him back on the bed. Keith was sweating profusely and groaning. Lance could only assume it was because he was in severe pain the way he was now curled in on himself and clutching his stomach.  Lance watched as Krolia ran her long fingers through Keith’s hair trying to give him any little bit of comfort. As he moved back to give them more space he noticed the necklace Oshi had placed in Keith’s hands on the floor. He bent down to pick it up and reached to give it back to Oshi.

Oshi shook her head when she saw what Lance was trying to give her, “That is for you, Red paladin, or your Black paladin.”

Lance thrust the necklace towards Oshi, “It’s just a necklace, I don’t have any need for fancy trinkets from you.”

Oshi bowed her head and let out a sad sigh, “It is no trinket. It is our life-force. All Bingjhi have one.”

“And what good is it doing me? Keith is the one suffering, he’s the one poisoned.” Oshi regarded Lance before speaking in a soft voice, “Do you remember when I handed it to your Bing-Mahn-Na? Your Black Paladin?” Allura was standing nearby and listening to the conversation, “Did you do something to it so that it would surround Lance and Keith in that silver aura?”

Oshi nodded, “I made a vow, a promise on the very thing that contains my life force. If I had lied when I said the antidote would work that promise would be draining me of my life right now. If your Black Paladin was not reacting and expelling the poison from his body so that he could heal, I would die. It is how I know in complete confidence that your Black Paladin will be okay.”

Lance snorted, “Sounds like a bunch of parlor tricks to me.”

Oshi leveled Lance with a cool glare but her voice never lost the calm demeanor in which she had been speaking, “We do not believe in parlor tricks Red Paladin. The Bingjhi do not take their life force lightly. You should be so honored that I offered mine to your Black Paladin.”

Lance shoved the necklace into Oshi’s chest, “I would have more honor for people who aren’t so prejudiced as to let someone die for crimes that are not his.”

This time when Oshi let out a hiss it was in anger and Lance was glad to see a break in that calm façade she had been wearing. He was itching for a fight and maybe he would lose but he would damn sure run that Bingjhi through at least once with his sword. But before Lance could pull out his bayard Krolia stepped between him and Oshi. Lance was momentarily stunned when Krolia wrapped a hand around the one Lance was holding the necklace with.

There was a barely there shake of her head when Krolia spoke, “She does not lie Lance. She has willingly given Keith her life-force.”

Lance stared at Krolia and sputtered in disbelief, “But they tried to kill him. Krolia….they were just going to…they…he was dying.” Oshi gave Lance a smirk and this time Lance could see a trace of the evil that Elias possessed when he was determined to let Keith die, “You would do well to listen to your elders, Red Paladin. Even if they are only _Galra_.”

Lance rushed forward only to be stopped by Krolia again, “You will do well to remember what happens when a Galra loses a child, even if you are _only a Bingjhi._ ”

Lance watched as Krolia’s pupils shrunk and her fangs seemed to elongate as she spoke to Oshi. Her claws on her hands seemed to lengthen as well, but the hand holding Lance’s never tightened against him. He was glad she was on their side, but Oshi would not be so lucky if this all went sideways. And for the first time since all of this started, he saw fear in Oshi’s eyes as she watched Krolia.

Coran was finally able to step away from watching the monitors on Keith, “perhaps it would be best if I were to take Oshi to another room.” “No!”

Everyone looked up at Lance. Shiro was the first to speak, “Lance, just until things calm down.” Lance flung his bayard, “I said no! She stays in this room where I can keep an eye on her because the minute anything goes wrong…..”

Krolia had an arm blocking any forward movement from Lance and Allura had pulled Oshi to the far end of the med-bay. There was a moment when Lance felt his composure crack and blinked rapidly to stop the burning of his eyes but he continued to glare at Oshi. He finally manage a deep shuttering breath, “She stays.”

Krolia pulled Lance back toward Keith but gave a cursory glance to everyone in the room, “She stays.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still with me thanks for reading.


	3. I Must Feel the Fire of My Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is very Keith-centric. A few trigger warnings for those who need them, there is mention of vomit and a bit of blood and injury. Nothing to graphic because I'm not a fan of it myself but alas it is part of my diabolical plot!  
> Also, this was started before season 8 so there will be a few discrepancies but I will be incorporating bits of season 8 as needed. 
> 
> Enjoy!!

Keith was either stuck in a perpetual nightmare or he was dying. Maybe both. One moment it felt as if his throat was closing up and he was unable to breathe, the next minute he was heaving his guts up. In between there were periods of nothing.  Other times he dreamt, or felt as if he were dreaming. Maybe they were visions. He wasn’t sure if those brief moments were a reprieve or punishment as the pain seemed to come back tenfold the moment his awareness sank in. Sometimes he heard yelling and screaming, other times he heard soft voices. Everything was so jumbled.

As Keith’s awareness lingered longer than the previous times, he felt more than seeing or hearing others around him. There were long fingers gently pushing hair from his face, a cool cloth wiping at his face and neck. Someone was speaking softly but he couldn’t make out any words. He could feel people moving around wherever he was but then he felt it. There was something warm off to one side, like the comfort of fire on a cold night. He tried to turn towards whatever it was even though his body was sweating. He was inexplicably drawn to the heat source. Just as he shifted a spasm ripped through him, his stomach heaving and a sharp twisting pain. His stomach gave a violent lurch and for several minutes he could do nothing as his body reacted against his will. He shivered with cold yet his skin felt as if it was on fire. He wretched uncontrollably and then the panic set in. He couldn’t breathe. He was gasping for breath but every time he tried to suck in air he was heaving mouthfuls of something thick and foamy. His body was working against itself, at war with the fact he was expelling poison and needing air at the same time. He was also vaguely aware that he wasn’t the only one in a panic.

“He’s choking…..can’t let him….”

“Monitors….severe dehydration…..fluids…”

“Can’t keep anything…..nothing….not working.”

“….burning up….fever too high.”

“He’s getting worse.”

“It’s only been seven…..can’t administer…..more hours.”

It was too loud. Everything was too much, the voices, his inability to breathe, too much pain. As quickly as it started, he found that he just as abruptly stopped vomiting. He slumped forward, unable to hold himself up. His entire body shook and ached down to his bones. Keith was barely aware of the hands holding him upright, gently cupping his face. He blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on the face in front of him. His voice was barely a whisper, raw from the near constant retching, “Mom?”

“I’m here Keith.”

He couldn’t help but notice how her voice sounded strained, her eyes worried, and how her brows were crinkled. She shifted and reached for something behind him and when he felt a blanket being pulled over his shoulders he tried to shrug it off, “It’s hot.”

“You have a dangerously high fever and chills. You need to stay warm.”

Even though his body convulsed with shivers and his teeth were chattering, he couldn’t stand the thought of a blanket on his burning skin, “No. Please it’s too much.”

He was still trying in vain to push the blanket away when he heard Hunk, “I don’t know if this will help but, I was able to replicate something similar to what we have on Earth that helps replenish electrolytes in humans. I thought maybe this might help Keith from being so dehydrated.”

Krolia’s voice was soft, “Thank you Hunk. Let’s hope he can keep this down.”

Keith took a small sip and gagged at the taste. He was relieved when it was replaced by water but that relief was short lived when he felt the beginnings of another bout of nausea and excruciating stomach pain. Things were about to get ugly for him again. He was only just able to push the water from his face before his insides betrayed him once again and it was pure hell. It was a vicious cycle that never seemed to end. The horrible clenching as his gut spasmed over and over, the panic of not being able to draw breath, and the alternating fevered sweats and chills.  

Keith barely registered the passing of time or the fact that there were always at least two people constantly by his side. He was exhausted but unable to get any rest. He recognized voices here and there but fought with what little strength he had when someone tried to cover him with a blanket. He was drifting in and out of consciousness when he heard soft voices.

“His sheets are soaked with sweat again.”

“I’ll move him so we can change them.”

There were footsteps fading from hearing and then arms lifting Keith into a sitting position. Keith felt himself slump bonelessly into whoever was moving him around because he found that amazing warmth from before. He didn’t care who it was, he just wanted that blessed heat that didn’t irritate his skin but kept the chills away. He couldn’t help the distressed whimper when he was placed sitting in up in some sort of reclined chair and the human heater moved away. They were back instantly and a hand was on his forehead. Keith leaned into the touch with a sigh and tried to soak up any bit of warmth that he could.

It took every bit of strength Keith had in him to peel his eyes open. He blinked slowly as his vision cleared, “Lance?”

“Yea it’s me.”

Keith struggled to speak as a chill spread over him and his body shuddered. His face was scrunched as if he was in pain and through chattering teeth he could only get out one word, “Cold.”

Lance sighed and his voice was soft yet held a bit of concern when he spoke, “I know buddy. You have a bad fever but you keep pulling off the blankets.”

“Hurts, burns my skin.”

“The blankets hurt your skin?”

Keith felt himself sinking into the side of the chair but he was able to nod at Lance. He heard a soft huff from Lance, “Well no wonder you kept pushing it away. I should have realized your fevered skin wouldn’t like the scratchiness from the blankets. Don’t worry Keith, we’ll find something to help you stay warm.”

Keith dosed off and on watching Lance and Allura change out the sheets on the small cot he had been laying on in the med-bay. His eyes were closed when he felt his body being shifted, a strong arm under his knees and one around his shoulders easily lifting him up and against a warm body. His fevered mind didn’t let himself get embarrassed as he let out a contented sigh with his face buried in Lance’s neck, “You’re warm.”

He felt the chuckle ripple through Lance and the gentle squeeze around his shoulders, “Easy there Mullet. Keep it up and I might start to think you actually like me.”

Keith let out an indignant sort of huff with what little bit of energy he had left and tried to sink further into Lance’s warmth, “Just using you for your body heat.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Lance had just managed to get Keith settled back in bed when something silver around Lance’s wrist caught his eye. “What’s that?”

Just as Keith touched the object there was a bright flash of light and a series of images that he had already seen in his fevered dreams flashed through his mind:  


 

_Keith and Lance were standing side by side, bayards in the form of rifle and sword resting on their shoulders and grinning at each other._

 

 

_Keith was kneeling down by a glittering pond on some alien planet, hands gripping his hair and his body wracked with sobs. Lance was next to him and pulled him into his arms._

 

 

_Lance dressed in some sort of formal attire holding out a hand to Keith. Keith taking his hand and being pulled into Lance’s arms. They were spinning around, smiling fondly at each other, music playing softly in the background as the other Paladins and some newly liberated aliens danced around them._

 

 

_Keith battered and bruised leaning against a wall in the corridor of the Atlas. Exhaustion written on every part of his face as he took several gulping breaths. Dirt and grime covered his face and his hair was plastered to his forehead but he turned at the sound of footsteps in the hall. He could feel his heart threatening to beat out of his chest and even though every bone in his body ached he pushed himself away from the wall and ran. He didn’t stop until he reached the person in the hallway, arms wrapping around broad shoulders, fingers tangling in soft hair, knees shaking and threatening to give out from under him as he cried out in relief, “Lance!”_

 

 

 

_The five of them were on some sort of mission, a dark hallway, Galra sentries firing on them from every angle. Pidge was next to Allura, grappling hook and whip blazing through the air taking down one sentry after another. Hunk and Lance were positioned at opposite ends of the hallway trying to pick off Galra one by one with their guns. Keith was in the middle of the hall, sword and Marmora blade slicing and spinning in intricate paths in a deadly dance with every enemy they encountered. Keith’s breath suddenly caught in his throat. Lance was surrounded, his gun would be useless. He couldn’t move, his feet glued to the floor, voice catching in his throat, “LANCE!” And before he could think about throwing his blade at the sentry trying to come at Lance from behind, Lance’s rifle fired off taking down the sentry coming straight for him and then a flash as his gun disappeared and a red sword was suddenly in his hand. His arm twisted and without even turning he took down the sentry that was just a hairs breadth away from stabbing him in the back.  Keith could only look on in shock as Lance straightened up, sword returning to its original bayard form. “You have a sword?”  Lance grinned at him and pressed a swift kiss to his lips and patted his cheek as he walked by, “Keep up babe.”_

 

 

 

_Keith is in his Blade of Marmora suit; Lance is standing in front of him and reaches forward to push a lock of hair from his forehead then gently cups Keith’s face with both of his hands. Keith leans forward just as Lance presses a soft kiss to Keith’s lips. They stand face to face with foreheads touching and eyes closed. Lance whispers to Keith, “Stay safe samurai. Come back to me.”_

 

 

 

_Lance is held by one of Lotor’s generals, the big beefy one called Zethrid. She’s grinning at Keith as she places the small dagger to Lance’s neck and twists an arm making Lance let out a hiss. Keith can feel his insides burning, his veins are on fire. Zethrid snarls at him “Drop your weapon and kick it over here paladin.” It’s just the three of them so she thinks she has the upper hand. He drops his bayard and pushes it with his foot so it slides across the floor. He watches as she begins to laugh, the fire increasing in his body. He feels fire in his fingertips, in the crackling of the air around him, and he sees the way everything seems to slow down to a snail’s pace. So slow that he’s able to whip out his Marmora blade and hurl it through the air and embed itself in Zethrid’s eye before she can even slice at Lance’s throat._

 

 

 

_Keith is dirty and ragged, chained to a wall in nothing but scraps of clothing. The floor is damp and he shivers uncontrollably. He’s been beaten and starved, questioned about Voltron, the Atlas, anything Haggar can think of. He’s been here for days, possibly even weeks. There’s a jingling sound and Keith sees the guard unlock the door to the cell he’s in, it’s no bigger than a closet. Suddenly everything is shaking, debris is falling from the ceiling, and without warning there’s a massive hole in one of the walls and it’s the most beautiful thing Keith has ever seen. The face of the black lion is there, eyes glowing and she lets out a roar that has the guards rooted in place. But then her giant maw opens and there’s Lance looking like an avenging angel. If Keith thought he had felt the fire in his veins when Lance was in danger it was nothing compared to Lance. Lance was fire. His helmet was gone, his eyes were an icy blue, and his sword in his left hand seemed to spark. He was completely outlined in a fiery red-orange hue. He seemed to be engulfed in flames leaving scorching footprints as he came forward. If he had been wearing the red paladin armor instead of his normal blue armor he would have been terrifying. As it was most of the remaining guards were already running away from the sight. The three guards that stayed in place ran towards Lance. They never had a chance. His sword arched and slashed in deadly precision, flames licking off the edges, and within seconds they were no more._

 

 

 

_Lance is standing on a hill; everything around him is charred, blackened and destroyed by fire. Bodies litter the ground, houses are nothing more than burned frames, and nothing is left untarnished. His face is covered in soot, tears streaking down his cheeks. Keith walks up the hill to stand next to him. They don’t speak, there’s no need for words between the two of them. Instead, Keith takes off his gloves and reaches for something around his neck. Silver glints in the sparse sunlight that manages to filter its way through the smoke. He takes Lance’s hand and places the object in his palm. He curls Lance’s fingers over the object then places his hand on top. Keith takes his free hand and cups Lance’s cheek, thumb wiping away at his tears. He leans forward, their clasped hands between them and he pulls Lance to him and kisses him. Lance falls forward; his free hand at Keith’s back desperately clutching his shirt. Where Lance is all desperation, Keith is gentle, slow, a certain measured patience. And then, as if the fire from before wasn’t enough another fire erupts all around them, blanketing them in flames as they continue to kiss. The glow is an eerie red, their skin and hair crackles with every touch between them. The heat is intense and the air begins to waver around them, and then just as suddenly there’s a flash and a ring of white hot flames spreads from the ground at their feet. It takes less than a second for the circle of flames to cover the entire area and then it’s gone. The air is suddenly cool and there’s a breeze that ruffles Keith’s hair across his face. They slowly move apart and Lance is looking down. There’s a gasp from him as he notices the ground at their feet is suddenly green. Keith looks around as well and slowly the ground shows signs of green grass, a few flowers sprout in sparse patches. There’s a tendril of something moving along the ground and as it moves the trees begin to sprout leaves, life slowly begins to come back to the burnt and barren land._

 

 

When the images stop, Keith is barely able to hold on to consciousness long enough to make startled eye contact with Lance. Somewhere in another corner of the room there’s a soft gasp and a whispered, “Oh!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will start to get into the main plot!   
> Let me know what you like, don't like, or if you feel like I've failed to mention a trigger. And as always thanks for reading!


	4. Holding the Weight of the World and Doubting My Own Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance gets a few answers and some of them aren't what he expects. He also gets some encouragement from a few unlikely places.  
> Also there's a teeny bit of swearing in this chapter so just a heads up for that.

Lance feels himself sway and stumble backwards, but he doesn’t fall. Instead his hand is wrapped around the silver necklace from Oshi and he blinks several times. He looks around the med-bay in complete confusion, “What the fuck was that?”

He sees Oshi staring at him, “I know what you saw.”

There’s a bit of crackle and Shiro’s voice is coming through the intercom, “Is everything ok in the med-bay? It seems as if the Atlas encountered an electromagnetic pulse.”

Allura presses a button on a nearby wall, “Shiro, perhaps you should report to the med-bay and bring Pidge and Hunk with you. Krolia and Coran are already here with myself and Lance.”

Allura is slowly easing Lance into the same chair Keith had been in only moments before when Shiro enters the med-bay closely followed by Hunk and Pidge. His hands are shaking and he can’t seem to hold the small glass of water that Krolia is offering to him so he pushes it away. Instead he looks up at Allura in desperation, “Did you see that? Were those real?”

Allura is frowning at him but she’s not dismissing what he’s asking, “I didn’t see anything other than a brief flash of light.”

Lance looks to Hunk and Pidge, “What about you? You saw something, right?”

Hunk and Pidge both shake their heads. Pidge confirms the same thing as Allura, “Just a flash of light, almost like a power surge.”

Allura kneels down next to Lance, “Can you tell us what you saw? Perhaps it will help us figure out what that flash was.”

Lance is shaking his head, hands gripping at the arm rests, “There were images, like visions or something. Some of them went by too fast to make anything out, but others were vivid. But the one thing I remember was there was fire. A lot of fire. I don’t understand. Didn’t any of you see anything?”

Everyone in the room was silent. Lance leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees and gripped his hair. Then suddenly it was as if he remembered Oshi. He turned in his chair and stared at her, “You know. You saw it didn’t you? What was it?”

There was some shuffling from behind and Oshi spoke, “You are correct Red Paladin. I did see.”

Lance stood up, legs threatening to give out still shaky from whatever the hell that was, and walked over to where Oshi was cuffed to another small cot, “Tell me. Tell me exactly what it means.”  


Oshi gave Lance a calculating look, “Will you believe me if I tell you? Up until this very moment you have seemed against the idea of your Black Paladin being your Bingh-Mahn-Na. Is it because you saw some visions? Do you not wish to accuse me of creating more parlor tricks?”

Lance moved as if to hit Oshi but Krolia’s lightening quick speed stopped him. Instead he was fighting against her arm around his chest as he screamed at Oshi, “TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING!”

Oshi sighed and bowed her head, “Very well Red Paladin.”

Lance stood there shaking in Krolia’s hold but he refused to move away from Oshi, waiting for her to explain. The other paladins and Shiro and Coran were waiting as well.

Oshi looked up at Lance, “What you saw is the power between you and your Black Paladin. Your very souls are connected by fire, an all-consuming fire that has the ability to destroy and also create.”

Lance’s voice shook, “But why didn’t anyone else see?”

“It is because the two of you are tied to my life-force. When your Black Paladin touched my necklace on your wrist the connection between the two of you ignited. Unless someone else is bonded by an oath on my life they will not be able to see.”

Lance’s voice was merely a whisper at this point, “I don’t understand. The visions, those things I saw….it’s not like that..we don’t… I mean we, he doesn’t.....”

Oshi looked at Lance as if she was trying to figure out some complex puzzle. And then suddenly it was as if the pieces fit together. “Perhaps it would be best if I spoke to you alone.”

Allura helped Krolia set Lance back in the chair, “Lance, are you sure? One of us can stay with you.”  


“No. I want to speak to her alone.”

Lance took a deep breath, stealing himself for the conversation about to take place, “this is something I need to do. She can’t hurt me and I need answers.”

Allura gave a quick nod, “If you are certain then.”

As the others filed out of the room one by one, Lance leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. His whole body was shaking as if crashing after an intense adrenaline rush. As soon as he heard the soft click of the door closing he looked up at Oshi. She wasted no time in starting the conversation.

“You and the Black Paladin are not Ley-Ni?”

“I don’t know what that means.”

Oshi gave a soft hum, “The Galra use the term ‘mate’. Others use the term ‘life partners’.” Lance choked on air, “Mates? Um….no no no…nope….definitely not mates! I mean we aren’t even…we haven’t…we….we’re just friends.”

“Your fierce protectiveness of your Black Paladin when he fell ill says otherwise.”

Lance finally regained enough composure from Oshi’s revelation, “I would have done the same for any of my teammates.”

“Do all of your species care so intimately for one another?”

Lance leaned back in the chair and bit his bottom lip, contemplating Oshi’s question. “Humans, or earthlings….we have different levels of caring for each other. Voltron has become like a family so our protectiveness is more like that of a pack. When one gets hurt we do all that we can to ensure their safety.”

“I have watched you, and your fellow Paladins care for your leader. You seem more caring and nurturing than the others. I am sorry for boldly assuming the nature of your relationship.”

Lance shrugged and gave a resigned sigh, “It’s not like it matters anyway. I could never be worthy enough for someone like Keith.”

“You are a Paladin, is that not enough of an honor to be worthy of anyone?”

Lance turned his head and stared at Keith. There was a gnawing in his gut, an ache that had previously been a dull thrum. But now, after those visions there was something bubbling underneath the surface. Even if what he saw could possibly be true, it didn’t mean Keith would want that with him.

After several minutes of silence Oshi spoke, “I was not able to finish recounting the legend of the Bingh-Mahn-Na. Would you like me to finish? I believe you may find it enlightening.”

Lance kept his body angled towards Keith but glanced at Oshi off to his left a bit of skepticism in his voice, “Sure.”

“The Bingjhi fear the Bingh-Mahn-Na because they also believe that they are Ley-Ni. Bingjhi Ley-Ni are terrifying when one is threatened. They will do anything to protect each other. Losing a Ley-Ni is like ripping the inner-most of your essence away. You become a shell of who you were. It is for that reason a Bingjhi will kill when their Ley-Ni is harmed. They cannot control their emotions or their rage, and they become horrified that they will no longer be themselves when that part of them is gone. The power given to Bingh-Mahn-Na is sacred and terrifying all on its own. But to be that powerful and also Ley-Ni, the Bingjhi believe the two will be able to destroy the universe to save each other. You saw but a brief glimpse of that fear and power in your visions. That rage, the desire to protect, destroy those who hurt the Black Paladin, it can and will manifest in deadly ways if not controlled. You saw the vision where you took out three Galra sentries in one fell swoop. You saw your Black Paladin with lightening quick speed and deadly precision with his blade when you were in harm.”

Lance was back to staring at Keith as Oshi talked. He knew what he felt; he knew what Oshi was telling him. He had felt that rage and fear when he was told Keith was being poisoned. But to feel it so fiercely he would destroy the universe to save Keith? He remembered the vision of Keith shackled to a wall, blood and bruises on his face, the anger he felt when he sliced into the sentries who stood in his way, and he knew. He looked down at Oshi’s necklace in his hand and gripped it tight enough to pierce the delicate skin on the palm of his hand; yes he would destroy galaxies to save Keith.

“Are they real?”

“In this moment they are real.”

Lance tore his gaze away from Keith’s sleeping form, “what does that even mean?”

“It means that there are infinite possibilities. In this moment there has been no shift between the two of you to change what you see. However, the amount of time that must pass between now and when those vision take place is vast. Any choice you make can alter what will be. Nothing is ever constant.”

Lance looked back to Keith. His mind was a cacophony of thoughts, each one swirling faster and faster inside his head. The visions showing him how things could be between him and Keith, but at the same time Oshi had just told him that anything could change that. The biggest obstacle was that Keith probably didn’t even feel the same way as Lance. And really, why would he. Lance was just the paladin destined to be one step behind him and never able to stand on equal footing with someone like Keith.

His eyes flickered to the monitors and for the moment Keith was resting peacefully. With that in mind, he needed some time to think things through. He stood up and headed for the door nearly running Pidge over in his hurry to leave. Hunk just managed to catch his wrist, “Lance?”

“I’m okay buddy, I just need to step out and clear my head.”

As Lance walked away, he could feel the eyes of his teammates. He knew they had questions, but so did he. And even with everything Oshi told him, it only created more questions, and a ton of confusion. He just needed a quiet place to think things through. The problem with that was that even though the Atlas was ten times bigger than the Castle of Lions, there were also ten times as many people. That made finding a quiet spot almost impossible.

He finds himself at the far end of the Atlas and pushes open the door to the greenhouse. Lance is so lost in his own thoughts that he lets out a very undignified screech that he would deny to his dying days when Colleen Holt appears in front of him. He’s clutching his chest and bent over his knees as he wills his heartbeat back to a normal rhythm. There must be something in his facial expression because Colleen puts a hand on his shoulder, “Lance, are you okay?”

He grimaces at how easily she reads his mood but he shoves his hands in his pockets and gives her a small shrug, “I was just looking for a quiet hiding place. I’ve got a lot on my mind. I can go someplace else so I don’t bother you though.”

Colleen links her arm through his, “Nonsense. In fact I think I know just the place for you.”

Lance lets Colleen lead him through rows of greenery and vegetation until they reach a door that he’s never seen before. She gives him a sly smile that is so reminiscent of Pidge he can’t help but wonder just how much of Pidge’s mischievous nature was inherited from her mom, but unlike her daughter she doesn’t try to pry any information out of him. He doesn’t have long to think on things when Colleen opens the door and brings Lance along.

“This is what I like to call our ‘endangered species’ greenhouse. We’re trying to formulate ways to regrow formerly extinct plants or those on the verge of extinction from across the universe. I’m the only one who working today so this place is all yours for as long as you need it.”

Lance takes in the array of alien flowers. Each one seems more exotic than the other but there’s a small desk area next to a water filtration device. He gives Colleen a nod and whispers a soft “thank you.”

He watches for a moment until he hears the soft click of the door closing and he’s completely alone. Instead of sitting in the chair he sits on the floor leaning against the water filtration trough. It’s surprisingly peaceful and if Lance closes his eyes it almost sounds like a soft babbling brook. The different floral smells and the coolness of the greenhouse eases the tension in a way he wasn’t expecting and it lets his mind think on the confusing mess of feelings from the visions he saw and his conversation with Oshi.

He’s not sure what to think of this connection he’s supposed to have with Keith. And whatever it is that Oshi thinks they are, they definitely aren’t. He almost chokes again as he thinks of Oshi calling them ‘mates’ and wonders if this is why Krolia hates him so much. Did she think Lance was pushing himself on Keith? Was she just being an overprotective mom or did she just not like him? Whatever it was he needed to talk to her and set things right. He just didn’t know how to go about it.

And then there’s Keith. Lance won’t deny he’s always felt a pull towards Keith. At first they clashed, oil and water, hot and cold, fire and ice. They were polar opposites in every sense. But somewhere along the way Lance felt a shift, a change, something different. It started when Shiro went missing but fizzled out when Keith left to be with the Blade of Marmora. But when things came to a head and Keith stepped in as the Black Paladin again, everything shifted back but stronger than before. Keith no longer doubted his leadership skills, he didn’t question his place on the team, and he didn’t even question Lance’s position. If anything the bond between leader and second in command was stronger than when it was Shiro and Keith. It was during that shift and during the long trek back to earth that Lance felt his feelings for Keith change. But this was a war and he needed to put aside those feelings for a greater cause. The battle was far from over and the universe needed Voltron. And even if there were time for those sorts of things, even if Keith did feel something for Lance there is no way that he could even think to be worthy of someone like Keith, Paladin or not. He’s always been one step behind Keith. He was only a fighter pilot because Keith dropped out; he was only picked for the Red lion because Keith became the leader. And even now, he was only able to fly Black because Keith wasn’t able. Hell, his bayard even recently manifested into a sword, just like Keith’s bayard.

Lance takes a deep breath and looks down at his hand. He’s still holding the necklace from Oshi. He remembers the flash that occurred as soon as Keith touched it. He also remembers how weak he had felt as soon as the visions stopped. He didn’t know what to make of any of this. The only thing he knows for certain is that this is one big fucking mess and he’s not sure how he got pulled into this. He stays in his hiding spot for another hour until he feels his phone vibrating. He pulls it from his pocket and reads the notification from Pidge. Coran is going to administer the second dose of the antidote in roughly ten minutes.

Lance looks back at the necklace in his hand. It’s really a beautiful and intricate object. It weighs next to nothing and yet Lance feels as if he’s holding the weight of the world. He feels a rumble in his head and it causes him to frown. It’s not the red lion, but instead it’s the black lion. He feels a nudge from her so he moves from his hiding spot and onto his feet. He squares his shoulders and stands up straight. The nudging grows a bit more insistent. He doesn’t feel like he’s worthy of this choice but the black lion chose him until Keith is able to return. So he takes a deep breath and decides he’s going to put aside his doubts for the moment and be there for the team and for Keith. As he walks out the door and back to the med-bay he feels Black’s approving rumble. But he stumbles a bit and pauses in awe as he feels the echoing of four other lions roaring their approval as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who's reading this. I didn't think I was going to be able to have a chapter out so soon but I've had a bit of free time to get it done. Reviews and Kudos are always welcome!


	5. Tell Me I'm Strong Enough to Be What You See In Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance has a talk with a couple of people who surprise him with some unexpected words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't thing there's anything triggering in this chapter but if I've forgotten something or you feel it needs to be mentions please feel free to let me know.  
> And as always please enjoy!

Lance makes his way back to the med-bay but he makes a quick detour to his room first. He’s not sure if it will work but there’s something he wants to grab in the hopes that it will help Keith. He enters the med-bay just behind Shiro, who left the Atlas in Sam’s control for the moment.  He sees Krolia helping Keith to sit up while Coran fills a syringe filled with the second dose of the antidote.  He notices a blanket on the floor and another at the edge of the bed. He also notices how Keith tries to push away Krolia’s attempt to find something to keep him warm even as he shivers uncontrollably. 

Keith’s body trembles so much, Lance can’t help but wonder how Coran could possibly administer the next dose accurately. But Keith’s movements don’t seem to affect Coran’s ability in the slightest. Everyone stays in the med-bay to see how Keith will react to this round of treatments.

Lance looks to Oshi and it’s as if she knows what he wants to ask of her, “Your Bingh-Mahn-Na will have a much easier recovery from here on out. He will still be extremely weak and his body will still force the remaining poison out but it will not be so harsh. He should be able to start keeping most liquids in his system now.”  


Lance nods and feels some of the tension leave his body. As soon as Hunk hears that Keith will be able to keep liquids down, he heads to the kitchens to make soup. He asks Krolia about certain nutrients that might be helpful to Keith’s partial Galra DNA and she follows Hunk to the kitchen.  Pidge and Coran are discussing something about upgrading some of the medical monitors to incorporate the various alien species on the Atlas. Allura is talking with Oshi about Keith’s recovery and Shiro takes this moment to stand next to Lance while the two of watch Keith.

Shiro’s voice is soft but contains a hint of pride that Lance has become familiar with anytime one of them does something just a bit impressive, “So, the Black Lion? Allura told me what happened when Keith was poisoned.”

Lance doesn’t have it in him at the moment to boast as he normally would. He’s too consumed with other thoughts. Instead he just shrugs, “Yea, I’m not even sure what she was thinking honestly.”

Lance can feel Shiro’s gaze on him as he says this but he doesn’t take it back. He stands by what he said. Instead he feels Shiro’s hand on his shoulder, “You know the Black Lion had her reasons. She wouldn’t choose you if she didn’t think you were the right person.”

“Maybe I’m not so sure that I am the right person.”

Shiro lets out a soft hmmm as he turns back to watching Keith, “Keith told me about how you begged Black to let you be her pilot after I went missing. I know how hard it is to want something so bad just to be rejected. Sometimes we aren’t meant to have something because it’s just not the right time.”

Lance lets his gaze fall to the floor, “Nothing is ever the right time for me it seems.”

“I don’t think that’s true. I think you were right where you were supposed to be and Black knew that. As second in command to Keith you stepped up when he wasn’t able. You became the leader the team needed in that moment. And to quote Pidge you were ‘completely bad-ass.’ But don’t tell her I told you.”

Lance let out a snort, “I didn’t know you cursed.”

Shiro grinned, “And if you tell anyone I will deny it to my dying days.”

They stood for just a few more minutes watching Keith when Veronica’s voice came over the coms, “Captain, we have a transmission from the planet Bingjhi questioning our hold on Oshi.”

“I’ll be there shortly. Tell Sam to continue to hold the bridge.”

“Yes Sir!”

Shiro turned to face Lance before he headed out, “Lance, you should know that I am proud of you. Black trusted you to lead in Keith’s stead. I trust Black and her decision and I know Keith would too. Take this moment to trust that Black knew what she was doing.”

Lance looked at Shiro and blinked fast to alleviate the burning in his eyes. But he couldn’t help the swell of pride he felt from Shiro’s compliment, “Thank you Shiro. That really means a lot to me coming from you.”

“Anytime Lance.”

Lance isn’t left alone for long before Pidge comes to stand next to him, “He’s been agitated ever since you left earlier. Oshi told us he had been resting pretty comfortably while you were here but once you left he became restless.”

Lance gives Pidge a hard glare. He can't tell if she's messing with him or not, “what are you getting at?”

“Look,” Pidge’s voice gets a bit softer and Lance can hear the sincerity there, “I’m not judging you or this thing you two seem to have going on because whatever this thing is between you and Keith, obviously it isn’t going away. And all I meant was that it seems like a good thing if Keith is able to rest better when you’re here. I don’t like seeing him this sick, it’s not Keith.”

Lance hooks an arm around Pidge’s shoulders, his voice is soft as he tries to alleviate her worries, “He’ll be okay Pidge. I’ll make sure of it.”

Pidge just leans into him and allows herself a moment of affection from Lance, “I know you will.”

They stand like that for a few moments before Pidge decides to extricate herself from Lance’s hold. She gives him a quick squeeze before she leaves giving him a small wave as she heads out the door.

“She’s right. Keith seems to rest better when you are near.” Lance lets out what can only be described as a screech and feels all of his confidence trail out the door behind Pidge. He hadn’t even heard Krolia come in.  He’s sure all of the color has drained from his face as she stands next to him, watching him with piercing eyes. It’s as if she’s trying to look into his soul and something inside Lance makes him feel as if he’s been found wanting. It’s unnerving and he feels vulnerable in her presence.

“I did not mean to startle you.”

Lance takes a deep gulp and steadies himself, “It’s fine. I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”

“You’ve been distracted since Keith fell ill.”

“You mean poisoned.”

“Hmm, yes. Poisoned.”

Lance can’t help but flinch at the hardness in her voice. He sighs mentally and decides to just go for it. It’s now or never and he would rather rip this Band-Aid off instead of peeling it away slowly. If he’s about to die, he’s going down like a man and looking her in the eye with as much respect as he can give her, “Krolia, I know you don’t like me. And I’m sure with all this crap and whatever it is Oshi thinks is going on between me and Keith, I’m sure you think even less of me. The thing is I never wanted this. I never want someone’s choice to be made for them. If this is because of something I did when we were on that planet, if I was the reason this bond happened because I stood up for Keith then I’m sorry. I would never in a million years have taken something as important as choosing a life bond or a mate or whatever it is away from Keith. So, I’m sorry. And I know I should apologize to Keith and I will when he’s better. But I just wanted you to know as well.” Krolia stayed quiet for several moments before finally speaking. “The Galra have heard of Bingh-Mahn-Na. But to alleviate some of your fears it is not a choice that you have taken away from Keith. It is already there, and always has been.” “I don’t understand.”

“I would imagine it is hard to understand something you have not heard of before. Perhaps I can explain it in a more earth-like manner.”

Lance nodded his head for Krolia to continue.

“Keith’s father used to read your earth books to me. One such book contained a tale of what you humans called soulmates; two people who are destined to be together, the matching of souls, perfect for no one else out of the millions of people in existence. Something predetermined even before you knew of each other’s existence.”

Lance sighed, “I feel like I’m stuck in an eighteenth century Victorian novel.”

“Now it is my turn to not understand.”

Lance shrugged, “Another form of books that humans like to read. Two people from countries at war, betrothed or _forced_  into a loveless marriage to bring peace. Usually one or both would rather be taken to the gallows and have their heads cut off then to proceed with the marriage. If this is sort of like being soulmates, then we're both being forced into something we didn't ask for.”

“Ah yes! I remember a few of those as well. But if I remember correctly, they eventually fall in love after several nights of ripping off bodices and breeches and heavy love making and they actually do live happily ever after. Perhaps that is what Oshi meant by Ley-Ni.”

Lance feels his face heat up and he can’t even respond. His mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water and when Krolia sees his expression she lets out a loud laugh. Lance is so caught off guard he can’t even respond much less react to seeing Krolia laugh so freely. To hide his embarrassment, Lance rearranges the items on the table next to Keith’s bed.

 “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I dislike you. That is not the case.”

Lance stops what he’s doing and turns to face Krolia, “really?”

“Yes, really. Your personality is a bit louder than what I am accustomed to but you are a very capable Paladin and Keith often spoke fondly of you when we were away.”

Lance feels his face heating up again, “Keith talked about me?”

Krolia nods, “He spoke of all of you, but more often than not he talked about you. Apparently you tended to challenge him and made him want to be a better leader when Shiro was missing.”

Lance sighs and sits on the bed next to Keith. He’s frowning and his voice is laced with sadness, “I don’t know how I made him want to be better. I was pretty idiotic when we were all thrown together at first. I made up some stupid rivalry just because he didn’t remember me from the Garrison. I was just jealous that Keith was always better than me at everything. But something about being thrown into a war thousands of years in the making kind of puts things in perspective. I knew I needed to do what was best for Voltron, for the universe, and it was time to stop with the petty jealousy.”

“You’ve all had to grow up far quicker than you should. By Galra standards you are all just younglings, Shiro included. But the lions chose you for a reason regardless of your age. I’ve seen you in battle Lance, and I see why Keith trusts you with his life. Don’t let your self-doubt stop you from your true potential. Being Bingh-Mahn-Na is almost as great an honor as being a Voltron Paladin. And you get to be both.”

Lance finds himself at a loss for words at hearing Krolia speak about him like that. He blinks a few times and takes a breath to ground himself before looking up. His eyes are glassy but when he speaks he finds that his voice is stronger than he expected it to be, “Thank you Krolia.”

She doesn’t say anything. Instead she gives Lance a gentle nod of her head and then walks out of the med-bay. Lance can do nothing but slump further in on himself and lets everything she’s told him sink in. He doesn’t have time to think long when Keith starts getting restless. In the time that they had been talking Krolia managed to place a thin sheet over Keith but now he’s trying to throw it off.

Lance is trying to keep Keith from becoming to agitated and ripping out his IV that Coran managed to insert to help administer fluids and keep him hydrated. Somewhere in between all of that, Keith manages to open his eyes and his hands are gripping at the sheet, “Take it off.”

Lance pulls the sheet from Keith’s shoulders and lets it rest at his waste and this seems to pacify Keith somewhat. Lance places a hand at Keith’s forehead and frowns at the heat he still feels. He notices the exhaustion and the sheen of sweat on Keith’s face even though he’s done nothing but lie in a bed for over 15 hours.

Lance’s voice is soft when he speaks, “You want to try and drink some water? We think you’ll be able to tolerate it a bit better.”

Keith nods and Lance helps him sit up. He grabs a glass of water from the nearby table and holds it for Keith. “We’ll take it slow again just to be sure ok?”

Keith takes two small sips and slumps against Lance. When Lance shifts to put the water back on the table, Keith mumbles a bit under his breath. “What was that I didn’t quite hear you?”

Keith is trying to grip Lance’s wrist but his hold isn’t very strong. His voice is also rough from disuse and severe bouts of vomiting so it takes him a few tries but he finally repeats what he said before, “I said you’re warm. Don’t move.”

Lance feels his face heat up at Keith’s words but doesn’t put too much thought into them. After all, Keith did say once before he was just using him for his body heat. But that thought reminds him of something else just as Keith begins to shiver uncontrollably, “Hey, can you sit up on your own for just a second? I brought something for you.”

Lance waits until he feels Keith nod and makes sure he’s able to stay upright before he grabs the item he brought from his room. As soon as he sits back down Keith leans into him immediately seeking out the warmth again. “I grabbed this blanket before we left earth because I wanted something to remind me of home you know? So anyway I remembered you telling me the blankets here in the med-bay irritated your skin so I wanted to see if this would help. It’s much softer than the ones here.”

Lance unfolds the blanket and wraps it around Keith. He doesn’t stop shivering right away but he does let out a small sigh of relief and grips the blanket. He’s still leaning into Lance as well and the combination of Lance’s body heat and the softer blanket seem to be pulling him back under. Lance also takes note that he hasn’t thrown up the small sips of water right away so he counts that as a plus as well. Just before he can dose off completely Hunk walks in with a bowl of something.

Lance nudges Keith just a bit, “Hey looks like Hunk brought some soup. Do you think you could eat a bit?”

Keith shifts and Lance has to help him sit up a bit more. Hunk hands Lance the bowl, “it seems like Galra are just like humans and nothing but good old fashion chicken noodle soup cures everything. I hope you like chicken noodle Keith.”

Keith nods and gives Hunk a small smile. His voice is barely a whisper, “Thanks Hunk.”

Hunk beams at Keith’s words, “anytime Keith.”

Lance and Hunk talk for a few minutes, Lance holding the bowl of soup for Keith when he felt a weight hit his shoulder. Looking over, Lance found Keith’s head resting on his shoulder, spoon in his hand, but fast asleep. Hunk just grins at Lance and takes the soup and spoon from their hands, “Don’t worry about moving buddy. I’ll take care of these.”

Lance can only nod, “Thanks Hunk.”

Lance looks down at Keith still slumped against his shoulder. He tries to maneuver Keith so that he can lie down on the bed but Keith seems intent on holding onto Lance’s shirt even in sleep. Lance rolls his eyes slightly but adjusts himself so he’s leaning against a few pillows and Keith tucked into his side. He pulls out his phone to occupy himself until someone else comes along.

The next thing Lance knows he’s being shaken awake by Rizavi. “Commander Shirogane wants you on the bridge. Something about needing a Voltron representative to go planet-side.”

Lance sits up slowly so as not to disturb Keith and checks the time. He must have fallen asleep shortly after Keith. He feels rumpled so he looks to Rizavi, “Let Shiro know I’m on my way. I just need a few minutes.”

Rizavi makes a face he can’t quite figure out, “I was told to stay here until Krolia or Coran could come to sit with Keith.”

Lance nods, “Ok then, I’ll guess I’ll make this quick as possible.”


	6. I Think I've Gotten In Way Over My Head and I'm Crashing Into Oblivion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is getting better and more Black Paladin Lance!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the usual trigger warnings at this point for mentions of vomiting. Poor Keith is probably tired of me torturing him in this story! 
> 
> Also I have not forgotten about this story I just got hung up and decided to try my hand at the February Klance AU Month challenge. And let me tell you it is a challenge to write consistently for 28 days, but it was fun!

Keith woke up feeling extremely gross. His body felt sweaty, his hair was sticking to his face and his mouth tasted like a week’s worth of hangover vomit. He blinked several times trying to figure out just where he was. He remembered a few flashes, images of things happening; Lance in trouble, fighting, the other paladins, a lot of Lance. Some of the visions he had seen before on the space whale, some of them new, and some of them he definitely needed some time to process. Was he still there? Where was his mom?

After a few more hazy attempts to open his eyes he realized he was in fact no longer on the space whale. There was some beeping nearby and soft voices off to one side of the room. A quick look told him he was in the med-bay though he had no recollection of getting there. And the voices belonged to Coran and Rizavi, or Nadia.

“So what does this show?”

“Ah! Well that is the heartrate. But this line just below shows what I think is the reduction of poison in the blood.”

“And did you have baselines for all the paladins’ blood or is it Altean based? How does that work with Keith being part Galra?”

“Oh well that’s easy. Pidge hacked into your Garrison’s computers to get copies of everyone’s health reports and we used those guidelines as our base.”

“Isn’t that illegal?”

Keith managed to sit up and catch Coran in a bit of a panic, “Are you going to report me?”

Nadia grinned, “Nope. In fact I may want to ask Pidge about some of her hacking skills. I have connections to one of my exes back on Earth and now that I know how much of a genius she is I may want her help on sending him a virus to several of his electronics.”

“You Earthlings sure are vengeful when your hearts get broken.”

Nadia shrugged then noticed Keith, “Oh Keith! You’re awake!”

Keith watched as Coran checked the IV in his arm, “What happened?”

“Well, it seems you were unintentionally or maybe intentionally poisoned after Voltron liberated the planet Bingjhi from the Galra.”

Keith frowned. He remembered the fight with the Galra and he remembered landing the lions and meeting Bingjhi’s royal dignitaries, but he didn’t remember much after that. “How did it happen?”

Coran made a few scans while he answered Keith’s question, “Apparently the Bingjhi had a fail-safe to ensure the Galra were never able to step foot on their planet. They manufactured some sort of atmospheric poison that is deadly to Galra. When you stepped out of the Black Lion you breathed in the poison. Because of Lance’s quick thinking and the fact that you’re also part human delayed the spread of the poison and we were lucky enough to use that time to procure an antidote.”

Keith looked around and noticed none of the other Paladins were in the med-bay, “Where is everyone?”

Before Coran could respond Nadia spoke up, “Oh, Commander Shirogane asked for Lance because we’ve been holding Oshi on the Atlas incase the antidote didn’t work and now the Bingjhi are basically pissed and want their leader back. Or at least she’s one of the leaders I think? But anyway Lance refuses to let her go so he and Princess Allura went planet-side to explain we won’t buckle to any of their requests until you’re fully healed or something like that. And Commander Shirogane has Pidge and Hunk nearby in their lions along with James and Ryan for backup just in case. Everyone else is on the bridge to monitor the situation. They should be landing in about ten dobashes.”

Keith blinked at the onslaught of words. Once he was able to process what he was told he stood up on shaky legs, “I’m heading to the bridge.”

Coran put a hand on his shoulder, “I know I’m unable to stop you but you should rest. You’ve endured a difficult recovery and it’s not over. You should also be aware that it would be in your best interest to keep the IV connected for the time being.”

Keith looked down at the small tube that was still pumping fluids into his weakened body. He nodded and tried to take a few steps and found he had to sit right back down. He was too weak to support himself but he needed to get to the bridge and check on his teammates.

Nadia stood next to Keith and held out her hand. He took a few minutes to assess his options; wait in the med-bay until whatever was going on was done or accept the help and monitor as much of the situation as he could with help. Keith took a deep breath and pushed his pride to the side and let her help him stand.

It was slow going to the bridge but Nadia never once complained, she even took it upon herself to maneuver the rolling contraption for Keith’s IV with her free hand. When they finally got there one of the lieutenants just to Shiro’s right stood and let Keith have his chair. Keith thought his name might be Curtis and he noted the way Shiro gave him an appraising look for his actions. He would have to give his brother a hard time for that later. For now he turned his focus to the projection of Lance and Allura talking to the Bingjhi noble Keith remembered as Elias. He was backed by several guards and there was tension from both Paladins and the Bingjhi.

Keith watched as Elias spoke to Lance and Allura with clear disdain in his voice, “Has Voltron stooped so low that you can’t even send your Black Paladin to speak with our people?”

Lance bristled with anger, “You know damn well why Keith isn’t here to speak to you or your people.”

Allura stepped forward and put a hand on Lance’s arm to settle him, “Lance is second in command of Voltron and is acting Black Paladin until Keith is recovered. You speak to him or you speak to no one. It is your choice.”

Keith gave Shiro a look at hearing Allura describe Lance as acting Black Paladin. At Keith’s confusion Shiro pulled up a small screen off to the side so he could see the Black Lion and just to the right the Red Lion with her particle barrier still up and her eyes dormant just like the first time Keith found her on the Galra ship. Keith could only stare, his mouth opened in shock.

Elias shifted and to Keith it seemed as if he was trying to make himself taller than he appeared, “As the leader of my people I demand to know why you are still holding one of our own captive. Isn’t your _Black Paladin_ beginning to heal?”

Keith watched as Lance took a step forward and glanced down at Elias’ hands. Only then did Keith realize they were in cuffs, “Do the Bingjhi stoop so low as to allow someone in shackles to lead their planet or to ask about our actions when you deliberately refused to help the leader of Voltron after we freed your planet?”

Elias sputtered but unable to deny Lance’s claim, “I demand you to release Oshi.”

“And I told you we keep Oshi until Keith has _completely_ recovered.”

Keith saw the slight twitch of Elias’ hand and his guards stepping forward with spears raised. He wanted to shout out and warn Lance and Allura but Lance was faster than Elias gave him credit. His bayard was activated and rifle drawn, pointing right between Elias’ eyes. “Call them off or I pull the trigger.”

Elias smirked, “And if I don’t then what? Voltron will have one very ill Black Paladin and one very dead _acting_ Black Paladin.”

Lance grinned at Elias and it made Keith shiver at the ferocity he saw in his eyes, “No. Bingjhi will have one very dead _leader_ and your planet will have to deal with the consequences. Now call them off.”

At that moment Pidge and Hunk landed just behind Lance and Allura in their lions and James and Ryan hovered just above in their MFEs. If possible Elias’ dark leathery face seemed to pale considerably. Another twitch of his hands and his guards backed down. Keith watched as he tried a different tactic on Lance his voice just as oily and condescending, “Would it be too much to ask then if my people could just see Oshi so that they know she is safe?”

Lance never lowered his bayard. Instead he gave a brief nod to Allura who spoke, “Shiro, please allow Elias and the Bingjhi to see that we have not harmed Oshi.” Shiro nodded and moved over to allow Krolia and Oshi into view. When Krolia came into view there was a collective hiss from the people and Keith could hear the murmuring and caught the words ‘Galra scum’ several times. Keith saw the glint in Lance’s eyes and knew this was a calculated move, especially as he recalled Nadia’s words about atmospheric poison used to kill Galra.

Elias only glared at Lance, “And how do I know this isn’t some trick of yours?”

Lance just shrugged and never lowered his rifle, “Like the trick you just tried to pull on Voltron? By trying to get one of us alone to sabotage us? I think not. Say what you want to Oshi, she can hear you. In fact she saw everything just now.”

Oshi stepped closer to the projection so her people could see her, “I am unharmed and when I return I will make good on my promise to you Elias. You have defied the elders by refusing to help the sacred Bingh-Mahn-Na, your actions almost destroyed the bond of fire, you will be held accountable and stripped of all your worth. Your actions today are even more despicable and you will spend the remainder of your life as Ette-Wei.”

The words Oshi spoke didn’t mean much to Keith but he noticed Lance tense at the mention of Bingh-Mahn-Na and he heard the rumbles of the people when Oshi declared Elias as Ette-Wei, whatever that meant. And if he thought Elias was pale before it was nothing to how he looked now. The guards that surrounded him no longer seemed to be there for his protection but instead to escort him away as a prisoner. As one the people of Bingjhi turned their backs on Elias and not even the guards dared to look at his face or meet his eyes. Only then did Lance let his bayard return to its original form.

Keith watched Shiro press a few buttons and the com-links opened up for direct communication between Shiro and the Paladins, “Lance what’s Voltron’s next step?”

“Prepare the Atlas for our return. Once Allura and I safely enter the Black Lion, Kinkade and Griffin will head out first. Pidge and Hunk will take up flanking positions to make sure we aren’t caught unaware by any hostile shooting.”

“And the Red Lion?” Lance stopped and looked over his shoulder at the Red Lion, particle barrier still in place. There must have been some silent communication between the two of them because Keith watched as Lance gave a quick nod towards the Red Lion, “She stays a little longer.”

“Roger that.”

 “You know, Lance was the one who orchestrated this entire set-up.”

Keith turned to look back and find that Curtis was the one who had spoken. “What do you mean?”

Curtis made a few adjustments to prepare for the MFE pilots and the lions to land in the Atlas while he talked, “Well, Elias only wanted one of the Paladins to land on their planet but Lance saw it for the trap it was. It was his idea to barter for him and Allura to go together in the Black Lion and have the others as back up. Elias agreed but reluctantly. As you can see, he was definitely up to something.”

Keith nodded still staring at the screen watching the Black Lion make her way back to the Atlas. He felt his stomach flipping and he couldn’t tell if it was because he was entranced at the way Lance handled the situation or from the residual poison still in his system but he kept that bit of information to himself. Instead he answered Curtis, “Lance has good instincts. He’s saved my ass in battle more times than I can count.”

Shiro came up to Keith before he and Curtis could continue their conversation, “You should be resting.”

Keith let out a huff used to Shiro and his big brother routine, “I’m fine. I want to sit in on the debriefing. I need to catch up on everything that’s been happening while I’ve been out.”

Shiro gave him a calculating look, “I watched you leaning on Rizavi when you got here. You don’t have the strength to make it to the conference room, much less sit through everything.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue but his body betrayed him. He felt his stomach lurch and without any other warning he was on his hands and knees and heaving. Sharp stabs of pain gripped his stomach and his arms trembled with the exertion of trying to hold his body up. There was a chorus of voices, some scrambling around and Keith was starting to panic. There were too many people, they were watching him, he couldn’t breathe, his stomach kept rebelling against him but he couldn’t stop the onslaught of vomiting. He tried to block everything out but there were too many voices.

“Is he okay?”

“Why is he not in the med-bay?”

“What’s happening?”

“Why is Keith so sick?”

He swore he heard Pidge and Allura’s voice. When did the team get back? Hands around his waist, he pushed them away, it was too much. And then a loud voice boomed over the concerned chatter, “CLEAR THE ROOM NOW!”

There was a hush and Keith felt a sigh of relief at that voice, Lance. He couldn’t explain what or why but Keith needed to see Lance. If he could just see him, the burning in his gut would stop, he would be able to take that much needed breath of air, he needed to feel his skin under his fingers. No one moved until Shiro spoke up, “You heard him, clear the room.”

Why was Shiro deferring to Lance? His body didn’t give him time to think about it as another round of vomiting ensued. This was not going to end well. He was about to end up face first in his own sick. Somehow he managed to rasp out one word, “Lance.”

By some miracle just inches before he hit the ground a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him up. He leaned heavily against cold armor and gasped like a drowning man breaking the surface but it wasn’t enough. He grabbed at Lance’s wrist and choked out his name again, “Lance.”

“Hey, I got you. I’m here.”

Keith felt his body moving away from Lance and he whimpered. He didn’t understand why he felt the need to cling to him like his life depended on it. This wasn’t normal, he didn’t act like this but something kept him from letting go of Lance. Hands were on his face and he was looking at Lance trying to hide his worry with a soft smile, “Ok, you’re ok. We gotta get you to calm down so you can breathe ok? Can you do that for me?”

Keith just shook his head. “That’s ok I’m gonna help you. I just need Shiro’s help for just a moment. It’s just me and him in here with you ok? He’s gonna take off my chest plate and arm guards. I’m not gonna move I’m gonna stay right here with you ok Keith?”

Keith squeezed his eyes embarrassed to feel tears leaking out of the corners and his grip on Lance’s wrists tightened. But instead of pulling away or calling him out on it Lance kept up a steady stream of soft chatter. With the armor gone he pulled Keith against his chest and mimicked over exaggerated breaths talking Keith through it all.

He wasn’t aware he was shivering until he felt something soft wrapped around his shoulders. He let out a sigh and sank into Lance’s arms, the realization that he was finally breathing normal sinking in. “I’m sorry.”

Lance just gave a soft hum that Keith could feel with his head against Lance’s chest. “That’s ok. We’re just gonna sit for a few more minutes to make sure your stomach is settled enough to move you.”

Keith could feel his eyes starting to burn and his lids felt heavy. There were footsteps and Shiro’s voice, “Pidge and Allura have cleared the hallways. No one should be hanging around while we get Keith back to the med-bay.”

Keith doesn’t remember the trip back to the med-bay, just a bunch of uncoordinated walking and a whole lot of leaning on his part and then blissfully sinking onto a slightly uncomfortable Garrison issued medical cot.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never thought to put this in the notes before but if anyone needs clarification I'll give you a few brief definitions that may help as the story progresses.  
> 1\. Bingh-Mahn-Na Basically this is the Bingjhi definition of soulmate or two souls bonded by fire  
> 2\. Lei-Ni Just as Oshi told Lance it means mate, partner, lover, a life-long companion  
> 3\. Ette-Wei Pretty much it's the Bingjhi term for exiled. You have to do something pretty heinous to get exiled and the Bingjhi believe the Bingh-Mahn-Na are right up there with the gods. So when Elias refused to help Keith when they realized he and Lance were soulmates it was sort of like an act of treason against their gods.


	7. I'm Taking Steps To Meet You Where Our Hearts Will Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is on the mend and our boys finally have a "small" conversation.

It’s the fourth time in less than two weeks and Keith is watching from the bridge of the Atlas as Lance tries once again to bring the Red Lion back to the Atlas. The Black Lion refuses to let him in and no matter how many different combinations they’ve tried, the Red Lion is refusing to let Lance in. It’s not like Keith has a death wish or anything by landing on Bingjhi, he just wants to feel useful and with Black not letting him in, he’s feeling a bit useless sitting on the Bridge and going over Shiro’s reports or monitoring the inhabitants of Bingjhi while the Paladins are there for any hostile activity. This time Lance is with Pidge in the Green Lion, Oshi next to him on the planet of Bingjhi and the Red Lion is steadfast in her refusal to open up to Lance. Keith can see the frustration on Lance’s face just as much as he feels his own frustration. He’s not sure what the lions are waiting for, but he trusts Allura when she says that there must be a reason.

Since the Red Lion refuses to let down her particle barrier, Lance has decided that during the times they travel to the planet, Oshi will go with them and work on restoring the atmosphere. It’s been a slow process, but Pidge has been there most of time working with the other scientists on the small planet. The only snag in the plan is most of the chemical make-up of the current atmosphere was created using a formula that Elias designed, and of course he is not cooperating. Lance has also decided that since the Red Lion has refused to leave the planet then Oshi must return with them back to the Atlas. Needless to say the inhabitants of Bingjhi are not happy, but Lance is adamant in his decision. As acting Black Paladin, Keith has given him his full support and seeing Keith support Lance has allowed the other Paladins and crew members of the Atlas to listen to Lance. Keith has noticed this has done wonders for Lance’s confidence and he knows if something like this were to happen again Lance will have no issues stepping into the role of leader.

Aside from the lions playing their stubborn games, Keith has been going stir crazy. He’s only recently been allowed out of the med-bay and he’s on light restricted duty. He’s no longer uncontrollably sick or suffering from extreme bouts of sweating or chills but he still tires out very easily from the poison he inhaled on Bingjhi. He’s only half listening to the conversation between Pidge and Oshi as they try to determine the exact concentrations of poison in the atmosphere. Instead he is replaying the conversation he just this morning with Oshi. He’s just been informed of his and Lance’s status as some sacred pre-destined duo/soulmate thing and he’s a bit unsure of how to handle the information. He has yet to talk to Lance about it and he’s not sure he wants to. He’s quite aware he has his own inner demons when it comes to dealing with his feelings for Lance and he’s not ready to face them all just yet.

**_Flashback:_ **

_Keith is tapping his fingers against his legs when Oshi starts talking, “You don’t seem as surprised by this as your Red Paladin was.”_

_Keith gives her a calculating look deciding how he wants to answer her, “It’s definitely a new revelation being ‘Bing-Mahn-Na’ or whatever, but there are some other things that are not so surprising.”_

_Oshi tilts her head, “How so?”_

_Keith pulls at the cuffs of his uniform jacket, “What do you know about the Quantum Abyss?”_

_Oshi hums thoughtfully for a few minutes, “I am told it is a rather complex channel that warps time in its own unique way and gives one glimpses of both the past and future.”_

_Keith huffs, “That’s one way of putting it.”_

_“May I ask what this has to do with your current situation?”_

_Keith shifts a bit. He’s not quite comfortable talking to Oshi about some of this, but she’s the only one who may give him some clarification on a few of his own thoughts so he proceeds but with extreme caution. “I spent two years in the Quantum Abyss with my mom. But for the other Paladins it was only a couple of months. During that time I did see flickers of my life and my mom’s life, both past and future as you’ve said. Some of what I saw lines up with what I saw from the connection you say I have with Lance. I’ve never told him because I don’t want him to feel as if he’s obligated to act on what I’ve seen. If there is to ever be something between us, I want it to be natural.”_

_Oshi tilts her head and Keith breaks eye contact with her. He feels as if he’s being scrutinized or perhaps even judged and he’s not sure he wants to know her verdict. But he’s shocked at her next words, “You are not what I expected for being part Galra.”_

_“What do you mean?”_

_Oshi sighs and looks away, “My people have always feared the Galra. It is why we created the poison for our atmosphere. We heard of Emperor Zarkon’s hostility in taking over free planets and we did not want that for our planet, for our people. I fear not only have my people forgotten but I have forgotten as well that not everyone we meet is a true representation of their heritage. Not all Bingjhi have good intentions, not all Earthlings are war hungry, and not all Galra are firm believers in ‘victory or death’. You have the heart of a true leader and your team protected you that day on my planet without hesitation. I apologize for my hasty assessment of your character.”_

_Keith nodded, “Thank you.”_

**_End Flashback_ **

Keith is so lost in his thoughts that it takes him a few minutes to realize Shiro has taken back his reports and Lance and Pidge have made it back. Shiro gives him a knowing look and Keith just sighs. He’s not ready to face Lance just yet so he heads off to some unknown part of the Atlas and tries to find a secluded hiding spot. The thing is, Keith knows he needs to talk to Lance. He can see that Lance wants to have a conversation with him, but while he’s a fearless leader of Voltron, he’s a big coward when it comes to confronting whatever this is between him and his Second in Command. So Keith does what any respectable leader would do, he hides and avoids Lance while trying to get Black to open for him

Weeks later and Keith is finally cleared. He’s taken to hiding out in the training room with Kinkade and Axca now that he’s able to actually train. It’s been quiet the past few days and this particular day is no exception. Pidge and Hunk have been on Bingjhi with Oshi for the past two days and Keith is heading to the showers still in his armor after a vigorous sparring session with Krolia when he hears a roar rumbling through the Atlas. He has to grab onto a wall so that he doesn’t lose his balance and he feels the emptiness that has been the void of missing the Black Lion suddenly feel full. He grins and without thinking he takes off for the hangers where the lions are. He comes to a sliding halt in front of the Black Lion just as Lance comes careening around the corner, “Red! I feel her!”

Keith is vaguely aware of Pidge and Hunk’s voices through his helmet celebrating the fact that they have managed to reverse the poison in the atmosphere and he’s forgotten all about avoiding Lance. Instead he flashes a grin at Lance as the Black Lion’s particle barrier disappears and she lowers her head to Keith, “Let’s go get your lion!”

They’ve barely touched down when Lance is tumbling out of Black and heading for Red with a loud whoop of joy. Keith is following at a slower pace and barely registers that Black raises her particle barrier behind him. He’s accosted by Pidge and he’s thrown by the fact that she’s wrapped her arms around his waist and jabbering about finally finding the right composition to recreate the original atmosphere and it’s no longer poisoned, but Keith still keeps his helmet on. Don’t judge a guy for not wanting to get poisoned for a second time, once was definitely enough thank you. Hunk follows closely behind Pidge and Keith is less surprised at Hunk’s hug but he still gives him a fond pat on his back as he gushes about Black finally opening up for him.

Keith is aware that the inhabitants of Bingjhi are wary of him being on their planet once again. They know he’s part Galra and he can feel the tension even as Oshi steps forward to shake his hand, “It has been an honor to meet you Black Paladin. I am sorry my people and I did not give you the proper welcome that you deserved, but know that from here on out you and your Galra mother are always welcome.”

Keith nodded his head, “Thank you for going against orders and saving my life even knowing that I am part of the race that threatened your planet and destroyed so many others.”

Oshi bowed her head, “You have your Bing-Mahn-Na to thank for that. He is a most formidable leader in your absence.”

Keith looked back to where Lance was standing outside the Red Lion chatting with Hunk and taking pictures, “I don’t think he realizes just how important he is to Voltron, or how important he is to me as my right hand, my second in command.”

Oshi tilts her head and gives Keith a calculating look, “He is more important than even all of that is he not?”

Keith hasn’t looked away from Lance and he can’t help the fond smile when Lance waves at him, “He is.”

Oshi squeezes Keith’s hand, “Then you should tell him.”

When Keith looks back, Oshi is walking away. He turns and finds Black sitting still as a statue with her particle barrier in place, “Not this again!”

Keith can only glare at Black but he doesn’t feel as if she’s shut her connection with him completely. Instead she lowers her head as if to glare at him and he sees an image of himself taking off his helmet. “You have got to be kidding me. Do you remember what happened last time?”

Pidge is standing next to him and she aims a kick at his shin, “Hey! I worked hard with Hunk and Oshi to get this atmosphere breathable for you.”

Keith has the good grace to look embarrassed. “I know. I’m sorry Pidge, I just…”

There’s a hand on his shoulder and Keith looks over to find Lance standing next to him and Hunk just behind him, “Look, if Black wants you to take off your helmet then I think you should. Bingjhi is now our allies and this would be a show of good faith that you trust them, that Voltron trusts them.”

Keith turns back to face Black. The same image of him taking his helmet off is repeated over and over. He trusts Pidge and Hunk and he also knows that if Black is prompting him then it truly was safe. Keith however, can not forget the excruciating pain, the difficulty breathing, the chill that seemed to permeate his bones. He feels Lance shift closer and in a soft voice that only Keith can hear he speaks, “Look, if something goes wrong I’m right here. Pidge and Hunk are here and we have three lions that will not hesitate to lay waste to this planet for sabotaging us. Also, I don’t know if you saw the images from the first day we landed and you became sick, but Red will destroy everyone if something happens to you. And so will I.”

Keith stares at Lance and then looks back at Black. He closes his eyes and keeps the image of Lance next to him, his hair blowing softly in the breeze in his mind’s eye and with a shaky breath he reaches for his helmet and slowly pulls it from his head. There is a collective gasp from the Bingjhi and it seems as if time has stopped while everyone waits to see if Keith would once again collapse from the poisoned atmosphere.

When Keith finally opens his eyes he watches as Black stands tall, her particle barrier dropping once more and she lets out a massive roar followed by Red and Green. Keith can feel even from the distance, Yellow and Blue roaring their approval. He can’t help the grin on his face as Lance hooks his arm around Keith’s neck or as Pidge barrels into his side or when Hunk wraps them all in a massive hug. He is thankful for his team around him at that moment because he is sure his knees would have given out if not for them holding him up.

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Now that all five lions were back on the Atlas, the crew was heading off to another sector to answer a distress call. Keith took that time to finally find Lance and have the conversation he knew they needed to have days ago. He finally finds him in Colleen’s greenhouse and she points him to the small room in the back where Lance is hiding out. Apparently this has been his go-to spot whenever he’s needed some time alone.  He finds Lance sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his head leaned back. Keith sits next to him and nudges his shoulder, “Man, you can be a real hard guy to find when you want to be.”

Lance lets out a snort, “Stealing my lines Kogane?”

Keith shrugs, “Just seeing if they work as well as you say they do.”

“I wouldn’t be so hard to find if you weren’t actively trying to avoid me.”

Keith flinches even though there isn’t any real heat to Lance’s words, “I guess I kind of deserved that.”

Lance turns his head just a fraction to look at Keith, “You’re not even gonna deny it?”

Keith lets his own head rest against the wall behind them, “No. I was being a bit of a dick and avoiding you.”

Lance grabs at his chest and lets out a gasp, “You wound me Keith!”

This time it’s Keith turning his head to look at Lance, “That did sound horrible once I said it out loud didn’t it?”

Lance lets out a loud sigh and rests his own head against the wall, “Nah. I mean I kind of understand why you’ve been avoiding me. I mean who the hell wants to have a conversation with the person they just found out is some sort of intergalactic soulmate?”

“So it’s not just me who finds this weird?”

“God no Keith! I mean let’s face it. It’s not like in those romanticized internet smut stories where you find your supposed soulmate and instantly fall in love the moment you see your soulmate’s mark or words tattooed on their body, or your world suddenly becomes full of color or some shit like that.”

Keith raises an eyebrow, “What are you talking about?”

Lance shifts to fully face Keith, “OH come on! You’re telling me you’ve never read any sort of fanfiction about soulmates or anything like that?”

Keith shakes his head, “I can honestly say the answer is a big fat no.”

Lance rolls his eyes, “Figures. You probably sat in that dusty old shack and read nothing but sci-fi and fantasy novels about knights and dragons and swordfights.”

Keith feels his face heat up and he ducks his head and mumbles a few words.

Lance nudges him, “What was that mullet? I can’t hear you.”

Keith lets out an exasperated sigh, may as well get it out in the open now. “I said I only read the books my dad bought for my mom the short time she was on earth.”

Lance is grinning, “So what…did she read those trashy romance novels with the hot guy on the cover built like Shiro with no shirt on?”

Keith kicks at Lance, “THAT IS MY Brother!”

Lance throws his head back and laughs loudly. “Oh my god! You totally spent your days reading that crap! This is amazing!”

“My dad bought her a box of them at a yard sale for like $5.00 and I swear there were over 50 books in that box.”

Keith is sure his face is not every bit as red as Lance’s lion but he can’t help the twitch of his lips as he tries to fight the smile at Lance’s genuine enthusiasm over his new-found knowledge. “Keith Kogane, ace pilot from Galaxy Garrison has a secret thing for romance novels. So tell me, is it for the nasty things they do or are you a romantic sap underneath all that broody emo façade you have going on?”

Keith pulls his knees up and hides his head on them. Lance is laughing again and shaking Keith’s shoulders, “You are totally into the mushy stuff! I bet you have a secret collection of rom-coms on your tablet don’t you?”

Keith’s voice is muffled where he’s still trying to hide his face but Lance hears him just the same, “God I hate you so much right now McClain!”

“This is the best day of my life Keith! We are so having a movie night and I’m gonna find out which sappy movie is your favorite. I can’t believe I never knew the hard exterior you showed the universe is all fake.”

Keith can’t help it. Even in his embarrassed state he feels the laughter bubble up out of him at Lance’s sheer joy. When he looks up he sees the softest look on Lance’s face and he feels something warm in his chest. He swears his heart skips a few beats and then Lance is standing up and holding a hand out to Keith. Keith just sits there staring at the hand in front of him. Lance finally gives in and grabs Keith’s arm and pulling him to his feet. He slings an arm around Keith’s neck and the pair of them head out of the greenhouse, “Tell ya what mullet. We go grab that tablet of yours and find the sappiest movie you have and forget about all the other stuff for the time being. Whatever this soulmate stuff is, we’ll take it one day at a time and figure it out together.”

Keith ducks his head and lets himself enjoy the warmth of Lance’s arm around his neck, “Sounds like a good plan.”

Three hours later and Lance is punching Keith’s arm, “You lied to me Kogane! This is not a rom com, this is a devastating heartbreak.”

Keith rubs his arm where Lance punched him, “I never said this was a rom com. You asked if this was a good movie and I said yes.”

Lance is glaring as the end credits continue to roll, “I will never trust you ever again.”

Keith gets up from where he’s sitting on his bed next to Lance and comes back with a damp towel. Lance takes the towel with a glare but uses it to wipe his eyes. “Ok Keith, aside from the emotional turmoil of that movie I will say the ‘Mother of Dragons’ and a very nicely grown-up Neville Longbottom gave the movie a slight advantage. Next time warn me if I’m gonna be sobbing my eyes out.”

Keith sits back on the bed next to Lance and leans against the headboard. He turns off his tablet and puts it to the side, “Hey Lance, I never told you this but um…I just wanted to thank you for taking care of the team when I got sick. And thanks for stepping in when I couldn’t.”

Keith watches as Lance’s face goes red, but what stops him is the frown on Lance’s face. “Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Lance shakes his head, “No. I was just…..I get it now. I get why you didn’t want to be the Black Paladin after what happened with Shiro. I thought I wanted to lead the team, but when it’s shoved at you and you’ve got the entire team depending on you, watching your every move, expecting you to make all the right decisions, it’s a lot different than sitting in a silent cockpit expecting parades for all your glorious victories.”

Keith pushes his foot into Lance’s leg, “For what it’s worth, you did a great job. The Red Lion chose you as my right hand and the Black Lion chose you to take my place and not only do I trust the lions but I trust you as well.”

Keith notices Lance duck his head and tries to discreetly wipe at his eyes, but he chooses not to say anything. He looks away until Lance nudges his shoulder, “Thanks. Now let’s watch another movie but this time I’m picking something I know won’t leave me in a puddle of tears!”

They don’t even make it halfway through “13 Going On 30” before they’re both fast asleep.

 

 

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess the movie that made Lance a sobbing mess? It's one of my favorites!


	8. I Would Search the Universe to Find Each Piece of Your Broken Heart and Put it Back Together Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone gets hurt. Someone is missing. Someone is slowly falling apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think there are any trigger warnings but there is a tiny mention of blood, a bit of cursing, and some emotional moments. Please feel free to let me know if I should mention other triggers.
> 
> Also...we start to see the strength in the bond between Keith and Lance!!

Lance is not sure where it all went wrong. The first several distress calls since Keith was completely recovered were a piece of cake. But of course nothing good lasts. Case in point, they were ambushed, completely blind-sided. The Paladins had become complacent, assuming every distress signal was a cry for help and now there was no other way to say it, they were in deep shit.  The Atlas was a sitting duck; all controls completely off-line, no communication with the Paladins, no way to lend cover fire for the lions, nothing. The MFEs were not equipped for prolonged fighting without the need to recharge and there were no Blade of Marmora members other than Krolia.

“We’re being herded like cattle! Every time we get away from the planet’s gravitational pull we have the Galra pushing us right back!”

“We know Pidge, just keep fighting!”

“Blue is taking heavy fire! I can’t get her to respond!”

“Yellow isn’t responding either!”

“Keith we need to form Voltron! We’re not going to get out of this mess any other way!”

“There’s too many I can’t get clear!”

“Allura! Watch out!”

Lance sees the several small Galran fighters surrounding the Blue Lion and aims at them. He takes them all out with practiced ease but before he can determine where to fire next there’s a loud rumbling and he feels the Red Lion shake and shudder. He hears voices screaming his name and then a deafening silence as if everything is being sucked into a vacuum void of sound. Before he can determine the cause there’s an explosion and he’s tumbling through space. Red is unable to right herself and its taking Lance all of his strength and concentration to maintain a steady grip on her controls. At some point he realizes he’s breached the foreign planet’s atmosphere and the strong gravitational pull has him careening towards what looks like hard unforgiving dirt. Just before impact he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, this is not going to end well.

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Keith watches in horror as the Red Lion disappears from sight, a trail of after burn in the deep black of space and then nothing. He’s pushing Black to follow when out of nowhere a familiar face flickers on his screens, “Keith, I’ve got him. Stay with your team.”

Keith takes swallows hard fighting the lump at his throat, “There’s too many, you’ll be overwhelmed before you can get to him.”

Krolia blinks once and Keith knows she’s not backing down from this, “I’ll make sure he’s safe.”

This time Keith doesn’t stop the tremble in his voice. He knows he sounds like a terrified child but he doesn’t care, “But who’s going to keep you safe? I just got you back. I can’t…”

Krolia’s face softens and she places a hand up to the screen, “You won’t lose me.”

Keith places his own hand on the screen. If he could just touch her, pull her into the Black Lion with him. He’s unaware of the tears on his cheeks and even if he could see them he wouldn’t care. His voice cracks, “Mom.”

Keith knows the look she’s giving him, he’s given that same look to Shiro when he’s being stubborn. He’s seen that same look on his team when they’ve faced unfavorable odds. Just before the link between the two of them goes blank she gives him one last command, “The rest of your team needs you Keith, you need to stay with them. I will take care of Lance.”

It’s a brief second after the coms cut off and then the sound of battle and the rest of the Paladins break through. He doesn’t spare another thought to the fear that grips his chest at the thought of his mom trying to protect an injured Lance on that hostile planet. And while he’s not afraid for his mom, he knows Krolia can handle herself, he’s terrified of not knowing just how badly injured Lance really is. He can’t let that fear consume him but he lets it drive him into the still ongoing battle with a fire burning him from the inside out.  It’s as if time itself has slowed down to a standstill. He sees every Galra battle cruiser in excruciating detail, sees every shot before it happens, he can pinpoint with deadly accuracy just where each of the remaining lions need to be to execute a flawless win. Keith maneuvers his team with the expertise of a master chess player. He owns this board, he manipulates the odds and they are gaining the upper hand without even forming Voltron. When the Atlas and the MFE’s are finally able to join the fray Keith is able to see exactly where to send them and they are slowly able to make their way to the hostile planet and provide back up to Krolia.

But they aren’t quick enough.

Keith isn’t quick enough.

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The new healing pods on the Atlas are different than those on the original castle. Instead of tumbling out on rubbery knees, the new pods are tilted back just a bit and encased with soft padding that cushions your body in place until you’re fully awake. When Lance opens his eyes he groans a bit at just how bright the lights are. He blinks a few times trying to determine where he his and why he doesn’t recall getting to this point.

“How are you feeling Lance?”

Lance tests out his balance before moving away from the pod watching as Allura tapped out something on a tablet, “What happened to me this time?”

Allura frowns, “Do you not remember?”

Lance sits on the edge of a bed in the med bay and tries to think back. He reaches back to scratch his head and his fingers come back sticky with congealed blood. He presses against the back of his head trying to feel for any cuts or sore spots but finds nothing. He shrugs, “I’m guessing it was pretty bad whatever it was.”

Allura pulled up a chair and sat in front of Lance, “You were caught in an explosion while we were fighting the Galra. Red was hit pretty hard and you crashed onto a hostile planet. You’ve been in the healing pod for three days.”

Lance’s eyes take on a glassy appearance and then widen, “We were set up. The distress signal was just a ploy to make us an easy target for the Galra.”

Before Allura could respond the door swooshed open and Lance was caught off guard as a pair of arms wrapped around him, “You idiot! You stupid fool! How am I supposed to explain to mama if you get yourself killed out here? She will never forgive me if I don’t bring you back. What the hell were you thinking Lance?”

Lance rested his head on Veronica’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around his sister and let her continue to scold him. He smiled when he saw Allura sneak out and give him a small wave.

“…..so stupid! I was so worried about you!”

Lance finally pulled back when he heard the catch in Veronica’s voice, “Hey! Hey no! I’m okay.”

Veronica punched his arm, “Yea you’re okay now but you weren’t. If Keith hadn’t….if he was just a few minutes….You fucking idiot! Just don’t do that again okay?”

Lance was able to piece enough together to determine that apparently Keith was the one to get to him and if he hadn’t well, Lance was smart enough to know that he probably wouldn’t be here at all. “I’m sorry Veronica! I didn’t know there was going to be an explosion. We were trapped and I was just trying to help everyone.”

Veronica let out a sigh and pulled Lance back into another hug, “I know. I know Lance. We’re out here every day risking our lives to protect the universe, but it’s just me and you out here you know? I can’t go home without you so I just need you to be a bit more careful.”  


~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Lance is freshly showered and munching on something that resembles an apple. He heads down to the hangers to assess the damage to Red. What he finds takes his breath away. Red is lying on her side, one whole side is nothing but shredded metal, and her jaw is unhinged. To top it off, it looks as if someone took a crowbar to her face and just mutilated her. Lance feels a stab in his chest at the sight of her. He walks up to her and runs a hand across her nose and leans against her face his arms spread as wide possible, “Oh beautiful. What have I done?”

He hears footsteps behind him and he doesn’t have to move to know its Pidge, “We’re working as hard as we can to get her back.”

He feels a hand on his shoulder. It’s broad and comforting in the way that only Hunk can be, “It’s good to see you up and about buddy.”

Lance takes a deep breath and moves away from Red. He takes in Pidge and Hunk’s appearance. They both have grease smudges on their face, Pidge’s hair is in complete disarray, and Hunk has lost his headband somewhere in the mix. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Hunk shakes his head, “Nah. Not today anyway. We’re kind of on hold until we can get some parts. Coran has us located on some planet that can possibly get us what we need.”

Lance just nods and stares at the pitiful mess that is his lion. “No wonder Veronica freaked out on me earlier.”

“She’s not the only one.”

Lance turned to face Pidge just as Hunk elbowed her hard in the side. “What do you mean she’s not the only one?”

“Have you been shown the feed that the Atlas captured of our fight?”

When Lance shook his head Pidge took a deep breath, “Come on. We may as well get this over with.”

Lance followed Pidge and Hunk to one of the large conference rooms they use for debriefing. Pidge fiddled with a few controls and pulled up the video feed. She forwarded the film up to the point where Lance took out several Galra fighters that had surrounded Allura. “This is the point where it all went to shit. None of us are sure what exactly happened but you’re off screen here. There’s a moment where all sound cuts off and everything almost freezes. Moments later there’s an explosion near where you were. We aren’t sure if it was deliberate or not. None of us could actually see what happened as we were all too busy fighting off more Galra than any of us could handle.”

Lance made Pidge rewind the footage to where the sound cut out. He remembered that moment, “I felt like I was being pulled into a vacuum, everything seemed to compress around me before the explosion. I do remember feeling as if Red was going to shake apart. She was shuddering and there was a rumble. The best way I can describe it is like deep thunder and then the explosion. I don’t remember much after that other than trying to maintain control of Red. She was in a flat spin and the gravitational pull from that planet was too strong.”

Hunk nodded, “We saw you spin out. We couldn’t get to you. None of us could.”

Pidge started the video feed again. “Here’s when the Atlas finally got visual after the explosion.”

Lance could only watch in horror as Red tumbled and rolled at a terrifying speed. He didn’t remember much but watching it as an outsider made his insides feel queasy. He watched as Red was pulled down and out of sight.

Pidge pressed a few buttons and the video skipped ahead, “This is where things get a bit interesting. We aren’t exactly sure why or how, but Allura thinks Keith connected more with Black. If you watch, he’s moving so fast you can barely keep up with him. The entire time he’s telling each of us where to go, what targets to hit, when to pull back, it was insanely scary. We should have never been able to overcome all of those fighters.”

Lance watched the footage and made Pidge slow it down at one point. He traced the outline of Black on the screen, “She’s glowing. She looks almost as if she’s on fire.”

Pidge gave Lance a sad smile, “That was my thought as well. Bingh-Mahn-Na, twin _fire_ souls.”

Lance whipped his head around, “You think this has to do with that?”

Pidge shrugged, “I’m not completely sure, but if I had to place my bets I would say yes. This happened directly after you got hurt. Remember when Oshi told us about Bingh-Mahn-Na? She told us that they would burn their enemies or something like that.”

Lance nodded. He also remembered the private conversation he had with Oshi when she thought he and Keith were something more. She had said Bing-Mahn-Na who were mates or partners would kill if their partners were harmed. But he and Keith weren’t anything.

Lance let out a huge sigh, “I guess it could have been a lot worse.”

Hunk and Pidge stared at each other and both of them shifted back and forth on their feet. Lance looked back and forth between the two of them, “It did get worse didn’t it?”

Hunk nodded, “Krolia went planet-side to make sure you were okay while we were fighting off the Galra. When we were finally able to get to you, Krolia was nowhere to be found.”

Lance felt his stomach drop. If he thought he was nauseous before, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. “What happened?”

Hunk and Pidge both shrugged, “We don’t know. Krolia’s fighter was found next to Red but from what we could tell, she never got inside Red. It was like she just vanished. We don’t know if she was captured, or if she got hurt, nothing.”

Pidge turned off the video feed, “Keith is a mess. If he wasn’t in front of your pod he’s been out scouting the area for any signs of Krolia. It’s like when Shiro went missing all over again but worse. Shiro had Coran help him slip something in Keith’s food that would make him sleep. He’s been on the war path all day because of it.”

Lance looked up at the ceiling and then back to Hunk and Pidge, “Where’s Keith now?”

Hunk twisted his fingers, “We haven’t seen him for a while. He’s usually on the training deck or out in Black.”

Lance placed a hand on Hunk’s shoulder, “Thanks guys. I’m gonna try to find Keith and apologize for this mess.”

Pidge stepped in front of Lance effectively blocking his path, “What are you going to apologize for?”

Lance looked down with a sad smile, “Because I’m the reason Krolia is missing.”

Pidge hissed, “Idiot. It could have been any one of us that got caught in that blast. Don’t go blaming yourself for something out of your control.”

Hunk frowned, “Pidge is right. Krolia would have gone down there for any of us. You can’t blame yourself for getting hurt.”

“You’re both right. But it still feels like my fault.”

Hunk wrapped an arm around Lance’s shoulders, “It’s definitely not your fault, but we’re all worried about Keith so if find him can you let him know?”

Lance smiled, “Sure thing buddy.”

Lance wandered the halls of the Atlas looking for Keith. He wasn’t on the training deck and if he was in his room he wasn’t answering when Lance knocked on the door. Black was still in her hanger so he was still somewhere close by. Lance made his way to the control room where Shiro, Allura, and Coran were in deep discussion about which system to travel to next. Lance looked out the large viewing screen at the planet they were on. There was something familiar about it but he couldn’t put a finger on it. “Where are we?”

Shiro looked up in surprise, “Lance! It’s good to see you!”

Coran looked up as well, “Ah Lance! We are on a relatively small planet called Surdan. From what Pidge and Hunk have told me, the atmosphere is compatible to that of your home planet Earth. Of course the colors may be a bit different than what you’re used to but you’re free to walk about if you want some fresh air.”

Lance nods thinking maybe that’s what Keith did, stepped out for some air. He doesn’t have any other clue where to look for Keith so planet-side it is, “Thanks Coran. I think I just might walk around a bit.”

Once Lance leaves the Atlas he takes a look around. The name of the planet doesn’t ring any bells but he can’t help but feel as if he’s been here, as if he’s seen this exact same sky, same trees, same everything. He shrugs it off and heads off in a direction that a grumpy black paladin may or may not have gone in.

Twenty minutes later and Lance has forgotten all about finding Keith. He’s caught up in the sounds of a stream or a river or some sort of body of water and he’s on a mission to find it. Just as he steps into a clearing he sees Keith standing in front of large pond. It’s a sea foam green color and the sky is a pale purple. The contrast of colors is breath taking, but what stops him is the slump of Keith’s shoulders, the fists at his side, the way his head is bowed so deep his chin must be pressing bruises onto his chest, and the subtle shake of his body. Something niggles at the back of his mind and then he remembers Keith touching the necklace from Oshi and a flash of memories, one in particular:  


_Keith was kneeling down by a glittering pond on some alien planet, hands gripping his hair and his body wracked with sobs. Lance was next to him and pulled him into his arms._

 

Lance lets out a soft “fuck” and makes his way to where Keith is. He never wanted to know what would make the fierce Black Paladin break down the way he knows he’s about to but he’s not going to leave him alone. He knows Keith hears him just by the way his shoulders tense. He stands quietly by his side pretending not to notice that Keith is wiping at his face.

“I didn’t know you were out of the healing pod.”

Lance feels a sharp pain in his chest at the sound of Keith’s voice. He’s completely wrecked and not in a good way. It’s ragged and rough with disuse and Lance wants to take away all of the hurt that Keith is going through.

“I’ve only been out for a couple of hours. Saw Red. Pidge and Hunk were there.”

Keith just nodded. Lance shifts a bit closer so that their shoulders touch, “Pidge told me about your mom. I’m sorry. If I had been more careful this wouldn’t have happened.”

Lance felt the sudden shift from Keith has he whipped his head to look at Lance, “Why would you think this was your fault?”

“Come on Keith. If I hadn’t got caught in that explosion, Krolia wouldn’t have had to go down there and try to save my ass. How could you not blame this on me?”

“What if it had been Pidge?”

Lance stepped back, “What?”

Keith glared at Lance, “You heard me. What if it had been Pidge caught up in that blast? Would you have blamed her? What if it had been Hunk or Allura? What if it had been me?”

Lance sputtered, “Keith…I..No Pidge…I wasn’t paying attention.”

“No!”

Lance raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me?”

Keith let out what could only be a growl as he moved closer to Lance and poked a finger in his chest, “I said NO! We were outnumbered. You couldn’t possibly have had your eye on every fighter, on every possible enemy or threat. This is not on you.”

Lance could only watch as Keith let out his anger. He felt his heart constricting at the sight of tears tracking down Keith’s face, “Whatever happened out there, whatever reason…whoever did this….”

Keith backed away from Lance, his voice cracking as he spoke was tearing Lance into pieces. Keith should never sound like this and yet he did, “My mom….someone…..if they hurt her….”

And there it was. Keith dropped to his knees, the green pond glittering in the sunlight a beautiful contrast to the heartbreaking sight just next to it. Keith grabbed his hair and his entire body began shaking with sobs. Lance slowly knelt next to Keith and pulled him into his arms, long fingers carding through inky black hair, another hand holding Keith firmly to his chest. He knew false platitudes would do no good. He stayed there until his legs went numb, until his knees ached from the hard grown, until his shirt was soaked with Keith’s tears. He stayed until the sky began to turn a dark purple and the pond reflected foreign constellations. He stayed until Keith finally pulled away but continued to grip Lance’s shirt, “I can’t lose her. I just got her back and I can’t go back to not having her with me.”

Lance placed his hands on Keith’s shoulders, “I don’t know what happened or what went wrong, but I can make you this one promise. Whatever it takes, whatever it is you want, I’ll follow you. I’ll travel the ends of this galaxy and farther beyond to help you find your mom. I can’t tell you it will be okay, I can’t tell you we’ll find her or that she’s fine. I won’t offer those false lies to you. But I will fight with you and next to you until you find the answers.”

Lance felt Keith’s grip on his shirt tighten and he pressed his forehead to Lance’s chest, “Thank you Lance.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would have updated this much sooner but I've fallen into the Six of Crows fandom. If you haven't read them (I know I know...I'm late to the party) you should definitely do so! They are awesome!!!! I truly believe Lance and Jesper are the same person.


	9. You Might Be A Princess But You're Not the Boss Of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one is on the same page. Feelings are all over the place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter with some important dialogue. Not sure how I feel about this chapter. It's been re-written at least 5 times and I'm still not happy with the outcome.

“Absolutely not!”

“I wasn’t asking for your permission.”

“This is not up for discussion.”

“She is my mom!”

“I know who she is Keith but we cannot detract from the mission. We need to find Honerva and stop her once and for all.”

“Honerva will still be here after I find my mom.”

“And what if your mom is….”

Lance had finally had enough. The two of them had been going at it for hours and nothing had been solved. “That is enough! Allura do not finish that sentence.”

Lance watched as Allura turned her icy glare on him, “So you’re taking his side? Does the fate of the universe mean nothing to you?”

Lance stood up from the chair he had been sitting in and slammed his hands on the table in front of him, “That’s not fair and you know it. I’m not taking sides.”

Lance turned as Keith let out a shocked breath the hurt evident on his face, “You said….”

Lance sighed and held a hand up, “Keith, I’m not going back on my word. Just please both of you listen. I have an idea that might work in everyone’s favor.”

“Unless it involves destroying Honerva I don’t want to hear it.”

Shiro put a hand on Allura’s shoulder, “Princess, maybe we should at least hear what Lance as to say. And then once we hear him out we can decide if it’s a good plan or if it needs some altering. At this point it can’t do any more harm.”

Allura crossed her arms and glared at Keith and Lance, “Fine.”

Shiro nodded, “Go ahead Lance.”

Lance inhaled deeply, shocked that Shiro had intervened in his favor, “Ok remember when Keith left to work with the Blade of Marmora and Pidge was looking for Matt?”

Pidge let out an indignant squawk, “Don’t bring me in the middle of their fight.”

Lance glared at Pidge, “Work with me here! Like I was saying….Allura, you let Pidge go off and search for Matt and Sam. Back then it was only the four of us along with Shiro and Coran. Think about it. There were only six of us. Pidge went out, made a few inquiries, came back and helped out with Voltron when we needed her. But she was still able to find her dad and her brother.”

Allura huffed, “What is your point Lance?”

“My point is we have the Atlas. We have a whole crew of help. Shiro can monitor the distress calls that come in. We have access to MFEs and rebel fighters that can scout out the signals so we’re not ambushed like last time. During that time Keith will have enough time to come back from following leads on Krolia to get back if we need Voltron. We have the numbers we didn’t have at one time.”

“Lance has a good point. The only thing I don’t like is letting Keith go off on his own.”

Allura rounded on Shiro, “You can’t be serious. Are you truly willing to allow Keith to leave Voltron to go gallivanting around when we have a job to do?”

Keith let out a hiss, “You seem to be forgetting that I am the Black Paladin, the leader of Voltron.”

“Which is exactly my point. As the leader of Voltron we need you here to do your actual job, help save the universe.”

Shiro pressed his hand to the bridge of his nose, “Allura, I don’t like it either. But I know Keith, he won’t stop until he finds his mom and I won’t stop him from looking for her. But we give him the best chance to make this work, and having someone with him as backup is a sure-fire way to ensure that not only does he come back but he comes back safe and with Krolia.”

“And just who do you suggest we allow to go with him?”

Lance shrugged, “Whoever he wants. He can take an MFE, or a rebel fighter, or…”

“I want Lance.”

Allura turned back to Keith, “NO!”

Keith stood up and poked a finger at Allura, which Lance thought was either really brave or really stupid depending on whether or not Allura decides to end his life right then and there. “If the only way I’m able to leave and look for my mom is by having someone with me then it’s going to be my choice and I want Lance. He’s the best option.”

“And in the meantime if we are attacked, we are not only one Paladin short but two. We will be sitting ducks with two lions unable to help. Then what do we do without you or Lance?”

Lance spoke up, “We manage. It won’t be the first time and it won’t be the last time. Look. I know you don’t like this but aside from Keith and Pidge, every one of us on board the Atlas has ties to someone, some family somewhere else in the universe. We are all in this together, to end this.”

Allura continued to glare at Lance, “I don’t like this at all. There are too many things that can go wrong.”

Lance nodded, “You’re right. And too many things can and have gone wrong when all of the Lions were available. But, do you trust the lions Allura?”

Allura looked up in shock, “Of course I trust them.”

Lance stepped forward and put his hands on Allura’s shoulders, “The Black Lion chose Keith. He’s the leader. The Red Lion chose me, I’m her Paladin, and I’m Keith’s second in command. I trust the Black Lion and I trust Keith. We were already gonna be down one lion. Red is out of commission for a while, you know this. The quicker we find Krolia, the quicker we have our entire team together and whole so we can defeat Honerva.”

Allura pulled away from Lance and turned her back to everyone. Hunk and Pidge were nervously looking at everyone, and Keith had his arms crossed not looking at anyone.

Shiro finally broke the awkward silence, “It’s a good plan. It’s a solid plan Allura and I think it’s the best option.”

“Then you better hope that this plan doesn’t destroy any chance we have to defeat Honerva.”

Allura stalked off not bothering to look back.

Lance sat down with a sigh and rested his head in his hands, “Well that could have gone a lot better.”

Shiro put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, “Allura will come around.  You did a good job and your plan is solid. I wouldn’t have backed you up if it wasn’t.”

Lance couldn’t help the swell of pride he felt at Shiro’s complement, “Thanks. I was just trying to do the right thing for everyone.”

Shiro nodded, “Don’t second guess yourself. Your instincts are pretty spot on.”

 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Lance was in Red’s hanger, blue uniform shirt tied around his waist and removing a large panel from her mangled side. His face and white undershirt were streaked with sweat and grease but he wasn’t in any mood to stop. He was unnerved at the harshness in Allura’s voice when she denied Keith the leeway to search for Krolia. They all wanted this war over and he hoped Allura’s snappiness was nothing more than just an overreaction. He was painstakingly smoothing out the panel he had just removed when not for the first time in less than ten minutes did movement off to the side catch his attention. Lance let out a deep sigh, “I don’t bite Allura.”

“I feel as if I’ve offended you in some way.”

Lance stepped back from the panel he was working on, “I’m not offended. I just feel as if you shut Keith down pretty quickly.”

Lance watched as Allura took a deep breath, “The universe is in danger. The longer we put off finding Honerva, the longer she has to strengthen her plans. We need every advantage and we cannot afford to lose vital time with Keith gone.”

Lance turned and leaned against the work table and faced Allura. He stared at her for a few minutes trying to gage the best way to approach this situation. Finally Lance bit the bullet and took a chance. “Allura, if you had the opportunity to change what happened to your parents, to your home, would you take that chance? Would you do all that you could to see your mom and dad safe and with you?”

“That is unfair Lance. You know I would.”

“Ok then, what about Coran? What would you do if something happened to him? Would you do whatever it took to bring him back safe and sound?”

Allura pursed her lips. Lance could tell that he was getting to her. He just hoped that it would be enough.

“Look Allura, I know this isn’t the greatest timing but this is Keith’s mom. He just got her back and after so many years of thinking she just abandoned him he finally has her in his life. Other than her and Shiro he has no other family. You also know that he thought he lost Shiro not once but twice in a short period of time. Allura, I know you understand that kind of hurt. The kind of hurt of losing a parent that can’t be healed by any amount of time. And I know if the roles were reversed you would do anything and everything to do the same for your parents.”

“And you think it wise to go off with him, to leave Voltron short two paladins?”

“I think it’s better to have someone with him in case something goes wrong. What if he’s alone and gets hurt and no one is able to find him? It’s better to have someone, anyone with Keith when he’s gone. You heard Shiro, Keith is going whether you give him permission or not and we both know this.”

Allura let out an irritated huff and kicked at a box of tools on the floor nearby. The clang of the metal reverberated in the hanger and set Lance on edge but he didn’t say anything. Allura finally turned to face Lance with a sad smile on her face, “The two of you are unbelievably hard headed and stubborn. I was never going to win this fight against just Keith but then you had to stick your nose in and take his side. I feel as if Honerva is slipping further away and our chances of winning this war will be lost.”

Lance frowned, “It was never about taking sides Allura. It’s about doing what’s right. I promised Keith that I would do whatever he needed to help find Krolia and I intend to keep that promise. Honerva will still be out there gaining strength that’s true, but until we do all we can to find Krolia, Keith will not be able to lead Voltron the way we need him to in order to win this war.”

Allura’s shoulders slumped in defeat, “You’re right.”

Lance grinned, “Can you say that one more time so I can get that recorded?”

Allura let out an undignified snort and then blushed at the noise she made which only set them both off in a fit of giggles. When they finally calmed down Allura tilted her head and studied Lance, “Is this because of the Bingh-Mahn-Na bond?”

Lance shook his head, “No. I would have done it anyway.”

Allura gave Lance a soft smile, “Keith is lucky to have you on his side. I doubted my decision for turning you down that day you asked me to have dinner at your parents’ house, but I see now that it was for the best. I think in the end we would have never worked out anyway.”

Lance felt his face heating up at her implications. “It’s not like that with me and Keith.”

“Hmmm, perhaps not. But I believe that one day it will be something amazing.”

Lance frowned and shifted on his feet. He tried to turn away from Allura but she caught his arm, “Did I say something to upset you?”

Lance didn’t turn back to face her. Instead he bowed his head and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, “I would rather something great because it was natural, not predestined.”

“I don’t understand. Do you not have feelings for Keith?”

Lance let his shoulders sag, “I do. I just….I want something real. I don’t want Keith to feel obligated because we’re some sort of cosmic soulmates or prophesied duo. I don’t want to be with him because the universe decided to throw us together by chance.”

Allura’s voice was unnaturally soft when she spoke, “Lance, what makes you think that just because you and Keith were caught unaware by this strange connection that what the two of you may feel for each other isn’t real? Are you telling me that you didn’t have some sort of feelings for Keith before you knew about all of this? Do you think that Keith truly wasn’t your friend or that he never trusted you as his second in command? Just because the universe threw you together as you so eloquently put it, does not mean that what you feel or what Keith may or may not feel for you isn’t real.”

Lance finally turned around to face Allura. He gave her a weak smile, “Thanks.”

She smiled back, “You’re welcome. Now I’m going to find your wayward cosmic soulmate and apologize for my behavior earlier. Where would you suggest I look for him?”

Lance gave her a smirk, “Probably the training deck.”

Lance watched Allura leave and went back to working a bit on Red. He never noticed a figure hidden in the shadows slip out and walk away, dark eyes pinched and a face that seemed to exude a hard exterior. He didn’t know the person leaving the hanger now had two separate missions and both were equally as important to him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who still reads this, all of your comments and kudos warm my heart. Sorry for the slow updates lately. Work has been crazy with lots of overtime.


	10. You've Twisted the Knife Deep In My Heart But I'm Left With A Heart That Only Beats For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone gets kissed.   
> Someone gets flirty.  
> Someone gets flustered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You get another glimpse of a "vision" that our boys saw in the beginning of the story!! Just a quick note about them in case you question any of it. Just a reminder that what Keith and Lance saw were just pieces of possibilities. The way some of the events will play out will have a bit more detail then the brief flashes they saw so don't be alarmed if they don't match up exactly. They were never supposed to be exact. Hope that clears up any confusion you may have.

Weeks of searching for Krolia had left Keith frustrated and on edge. No matter what lead they followed, they always came to a dead end. But the one thing that didn’t change was Keith’s unwavering belief that his mom was somehow still on that same planet that Lance had crashed into. He doesn’t have solid proof, just a gut feeling and a half-baked idea. He’s sifting through the video feed from the Atlas of that particular day when Hunk walks in with a plate of something.

“You missed lunch and Shiro asked me to bring you some food.”

Keith looked up with flushed cheeks when his stomach let out an angry growl. “I didn’t realize how hungry I had gotten.”

Hunk set the plate down in front of Keith, “Anymore luck on finding your mom?”

Keith shook his head, “No, but I keep feeling like I’m missing something important.”

“Like what?”

Keith chewed slowly and swallowed, “Like the fact that my mom never made it to check on Lance but Lance didn’t go missing along with her. Like the fact that her fighter craft was untouched, yet she was nowhere to be found and there were no signs of a struggle. And the fact that the gravitational pull on that planet was too strong for her to have been able to use her jet pack to get off that planet.”

Keith ate the rest of his food while Hunk stared at nothing. He wasn’t too concerned with the silence because knowing Hunk he was contemplating Keith’s words. In fact it was only moments later when he posed a question for Keith, “You said there were no signs of struggle, but was that just from observing nothing in the Red Lion and the fighter plane were untouched or did you happen to notice the area around? Like were there foot prints or broken foliage, or maybe gouges in the ground from a scuffle?”

Keith let out a long sigh, “I don’t really remember to be honest with you. Once I got to Red and noticed how bad off Lance was from the crash I didn’t have much time to check out anything after that. In fact, I was just about to see if the Atlas caught anything on the video feed after my mom landed.”

“Oh that’s a good idea! You need any help?”

“Yea that would be great. And maybe help me find a way to convince Allura to head back that way soon.”

Hunk gave Keith a sympathetic smile, “It’s like she’s back to hating Galra Keith all over again.”

Keith let his shoulders slump, “Yea. I keep hoping it’s just the stress from trying to find Honerva so that we can end all of this, but it’s hard not to take some of this personal.”

Hunk scanned through some of the video feed while Keith vented his frustrations, “Don’t worry about it man. I got your back, especially after you helped me find my family back on Earth. We’re all here for you buddy.”

Before Keith could respond there was a loud alarm and Shiro’s voice over the intercom, “Paladins and MFEs, we need you on the bridge immediately.”

Hunk and Keith ran from the room they were in and met up with Pidge just before they entered the bridge. Lance and Allura were already there and the MFE pilots showed up shortly after.

Shiro was standing in the center of the large room ready to address everyone, “Paladins, we have word that the Galra have taken over a small rebel base and are holding some of the inhabitants hostage. Since the Red Lion is still out of commission and Voltron is not an option, we’re going to use the MFE’s as a diversionary tactic and I thought it best if we use as few of the lions as possible to transport the rebels away from the Galra.”

Keith nodded, “The Black lion and the Yellow lion are the two largest. Hunk and I can land once the MFE’s have the Galra distracted and look for the prisoners.”

Shiro pulled up a large map of the rebel base, “We believe this where the prisoners are being held. I think it will be best if all five Paladins are on hand to help rescue the prisoners just in case there are any sentries still within the base.”

James spoke up, “How much of a distraction do you need from us Commander Shirogane?”

Shiro looked at each of the four MFE pilots, “I want as big of a distraction as you can make it. We don’t have the luxury of Voltron on this mission so the Paladins need as much cover as you can give them. They need to be in an out as quickly as possible with the rebel prisoners. “

Rizavi bounced on the balls of her feet, “So half destruction half mission impossible. We cause chaos and the Paladins do some sneaky ninja escape tactics. I like it!”

Shiro raised an eyebrow, “Try to go easy on the destruction. If we can get rid of the Galra we may still be able to use the base in the future.”

Rizavi grinned, “Roger that Commander!”

.

.

.

Landing on the rebel base was a breeze. The MFE’s did their job and kept the Galra completely occupied so Hunk and Keith could land their lions. Pidge opened up the map of the rebel base from her wrist guard as soon as they entered the facility. The first thing Keith noted was how dark it was, “Not a lot of light here.”

Pidge keyed in a few commands while they walked, “Sentries don’t need light like we do. We need to turn right up ahead.”

Hunk followed behind scanning the area, “Seems too easy. Are we sure this isn’t a trap?”

Lance’s voice came from somewhere above, “Not everything’s a trap. We got this Hunk.”

“Lance, I seem to recall you once telling Hunk that in your experience something always comes along to kill us.”

Lance let out an indignant squawk, “Allura! I thought you would at least be on my side. I’ve been betrayed by my own team!”

There was a few small chuckles before Pidge spoke again, “Ok guys, we take the left corridor up here and if this map is correct the prisoners will be in the third room to the left.”

Keith noticed other than Pidge everyone had their bayard in hand. He couldn’t see Lance as he was walking in the piping above everyone but he was sure even his bayard was in its customary rifle form. Just before they headed down the left corridor Lance’s voice came through their helmets, “Guys we have company up ahead.”

Seconds later a shot came from behind. Keith could hear the panic in Hunk’s voice, “We got incoming from behind!”

Just as Lance began taking shots at the Galra in front the few remaining lights in the hallway went out leaving the Paladins almost fighting blind. And as if that wasn’t bad enough they were surrounded. Galra sentries were firing on them from every angle. Pidge was next to Allura, grappling hook and whip blazing through the air taking down one sentry after another.

“Lance! Hunk! We need cover from the front and back!”

“Paladins! What’s your status?” “We’re taking heavy fire down here! We need back up!”

“We’re surrounded in the air! It’s like we were set up!”

“Guys! We got more incoming from the opposite corridor!”

Keith caught a glimpse of Hunk holding off sentries from behind. Pidge and Allura were fighting back to back and Lance was still positioned in the rafters picking off sentries from the front. Keith was in the middle fighting the sentries that had managed to slip through. He was surrounded by no less than ten sentries and he had his sword and Marmora blade slicing and spinning in intricate paths in a deadly dance with every enemy they encountered. He turned in place searching for more sentries but he had cleared a path straight ahead, Hunk cleared the hallway from the direction they had already come from, Lance had the front cleared and Allura and Pidge only had a few more Galra they were fighting. There was a shout to the left and Keith turned around to see Pidge being knocked against a wall. Before he could help her out, Lance jumped down to help Pidge. Keith felt his throat go dry. Lance had landed in the middle of several Galra; his gun would be useless at short range. Keith couldn’t move, couldn’t think, his voice catching in his throat as he let out a strangled yell, “LANCE!”

Lance fired his rifle and in two quick shots took out the sentries in front of him. Before Keith even had a chance to throw his sword at the sentry coming up behind Lance there was a flash and Keith could only stare as Lance’s bayard switched from its customary form of rifle to a red sword. His arm twisted and without even turning he made a slashing motion and the sentry behind him fell to the ground just a hairs breadth away from stabbing him in the back.

With the threat of Galra sentries eliminated, Keith could only look at Lance in shock. He watched as Lance’s bayard switched from sword to rifle and then flashed into its original form.

Keith watched as Lance put a hand on Pidge’s shoulder making sure she was okay then made his way toward Keith, “You okay there buddy?”

And as if he hadn’t been standing there like a star struck fool, Keith opened and closed his mouth several times before he found his voice, “You have a sword?”

Lance stopped just in front of Keith and gave him the most shit-eating grin. Keith’s heart rate increased as he watched Lance place a hand on his hip and give him a wink. He fucking winked at Keith! “Of course I have a sword. All the cool kids have one. And I know how to use it as well!”

Keith blinked several times at Lance. He was trying hard not to blush at the innuendos of Lance knowing how to use his sword. “Since when do you have a sword?”

And really Keith didn’t have a chance because instead of answering his question Lance just gave him another wink and pressed a swift kiss to his lips and patted his cheek as he walked by, “Keep up babe.”

It wasn’t even really a kiss. Oh no, Keith had been kissed before and if anything this was just a whisper of lips brushing his, but Keith felt his face turn as red as his armor and there was a flutter of something in his stomach. And then his voice decided to revert back to its prepubescent state from when Keith was just thirteen years old and cracked in the most embarrassing way, “Babe?”

Keith just stood there watching Lance walk away from him and pressed his hand to his lips. He didn’t register the flush on Lance’s face as he walked away, nor did he register the amused looks coming from Hunk and Pidge. He didn’t see the way Allura ducked her head with a hand pressed to her mouth to stop her giggles from escaping.

There was a crackle of static and Shiro’s voice coming from their communications devices, “Paladins, any update on your situation?”

“Keith? Pidge? Anyone? Paladins come in!”

Allura took pity on Keith’s unresponsive state and responded, “We’re fine Shiro. We’ve eliminated the sentries.”

There was a cry from up ahead, “I found the prisoners!”

Allura let out a soft breath, “Lance just found the prisoners. We’re about to proceed with the extraction and head back to the Atlas.”

Shiro’s voice cut in and out of the static, “Make it quick, the MFE pilots are getting overwhelmed out there. I don’t think they’ll be able to hold them off much longer.”

Keith watched as Hunk and Allura followed the sound of Lance’s voice and made their way down the hall. He was still standing there when Pidge poked him in the back, “Come on _babe,_ let’s go get help the others.”

Keith turned to look at Pidge and finally made to move his hand from his lips. His eyes were wide and as if it was the most absurd thing that had ever happened to him he glared at Pidge and his voice hissed in annoyance, “He fucking kissed me!”

Pidge grinned at Keith as the pair walked down the hallway towards the sound of voices and the other Paladins, “Are we having this conversation right now?”

Keith stumbled and if possible glared even harder at Pidge, “NO!”

He walked ahead of Pidge then stopped to turn and stare at her, his eyes still wide in disbelief, “Lance fucking kissed me Pidge.”

As Keith turned to walk away from Pidge he heard her laughing behind him and flipped her the bird over his shoulder.   


Once the rebel hostages were loaded onto the yellow and black lions, Keith and Hunk made quick work getting everyone onto the Atlas and to safety while Pidge and Allura took off in their lions to help the MFE’s take out the remaining Galra. Soon after, the rebel base was freed and with minimum damage. Matt Holt and several others stayed behind to help rebuild the base and set them up with extra supplies.

It took the remainder of the afternoon but the rebel base was finally secure and the Atlas was off. Keith was rubbing an ache in his arm and looking forward to a nice hot shower when he heard hurried footsteps behind him, “Keith! Wait up.”

Keith turned around to see Lance jogging slightly to catch up to him. His face was a bit flushed and his hair was sticking to his forehead. They had all put in a hard day’s work and it showed in Lance’s tired face. Keith knew he didn’t look much better.

“Look, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about earlier. I wasn’t …..I just….it was out of line. We were on a mission and I acted inappropriately and so I’m sorry.”

Keith watched as Lance ducked his head and trying to avoid eye contact with Keith. He put a hand on Lance’s arm, “Lance, I appreciate your apology but I’m not mad at you.”

Lance sighed, “I know you aren’t mad, but Pidge told me you seemed a bit irritated about the fact that I….that um…you know…that I….”

Keith couldn’t help the bit of smug satisfaction he felt watching Lance flounder for words. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms waiting to see if Lance would ever spit out the words that he kissed Keith. In all honesty, Keith wasn’t upset, just completely caught off guard in that moment. And now that he had time to process it, he could honestly say he was hoping for a do-over in a more private setting.

When Lance finally looked up at Keith’s lack of response, he noticed the shit-eating grin on Keith’s face. Lance narrowed his eyes and stomped closer to Keith and poked a finger at his chest, “You’re enjoying this aren’t you? Here I am spilling my guts out to you and trying to apologize and you’re standing there grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat.”

Keith was in fact grinning. It wasn’t often Lance got flustered and he was enjoying the moment. “I’m just trying to figure out what exactly it is you think I seem to be irritated over. You’re trying to apologize for something, but you never said what you did that you’re sorry for.”

Lance opened his mouth to say something then shut it just as fast. He glared at Keith for a few seconds, “You know what? Fine! You wanna stand there and make fun of me, I’m not sorry.”

Keith grinned even more, “So you’re not sorry for….”

Lance’s eyes opened wide, “No! That’s not what I meant! I _am_ sorry. You’re just twisting my words.”

Keith stepped forward, “So you are sorry?”

Lance took a step back and Keith noticed the deep flush of his cheeks, the panicked look in his eyes, and the stutter in his words. Keith took deep satisfaction knowing he was the one making Lance react this way, “No…I mean….I’m sorry for….but not sorry….I was trying to tell you….”

Keith continued to step closer to Lance making Lance retreat further back until he hit the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. With nowhere to go and his back literally up against a wall Keith watched as Lance opened and closed his mouth several times before clamping his mouth shut. Keith leaned forward with his arm against the wall next to Lance’s face. Keith’s eyes darted back and forth taking in all of Lance’s face. He let his lips lift in the tiniest of smirks and let Lance see the amusement in his eyes, “When you figure out what it is you’re trying to apologize for let me know.”

Keith turned to walk away when Lance grabbed his hand and pulled him back, “Keith!”

Keith turned around and felt it when Lance’s hand’s tightened around his. “I am sorry ok? Not for what I did unless it really upset you. I’m just sorry that it was not the right time. So…yea…that’s all.”

Keith lifted his free hand to Lance’s cheek. He felt the heat under his palm as Lance’s face flushed a deep red. He ran his thumb lightly over Lance’s bottom lip and smirked. He leaned close to Lance and let his lips brush against his ear, “I’m not upset, but we can work on your timing later….babe.”

Keith pulled away and gave Lance’s cheek a quick pat and walked away with a wink. He couldn’t help the laugh when he heard Lance let out a noise similar to that of a dying whale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you are still reading this thank you! I love all of the love and support for this story. You guys are so awesome. Each and every kudos and comments mean everything to me!


	11. The Universe Is Not Big Enough To Keep Me From Finding You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OH BOY!   
> Keith gets a lead on Krolia. Shiro and Lance have another talk. Lance goes back to where everything started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter just demanded to be written and I couldn't stop. I'm not even sure how it happened so fast. I don't think there are any trigger warnings but if you feel something needs to be added please let me know. All I can say is buckle up because this chapter is a multitude of different emotions.

Lance was dying.

No listen, his very existence was in mortal danger because every time he got close to Keith he wanted to spontaneously combust. It’s not like Lance meant to kiss Keith that day but damn it, Keith was all flustered and cute and yeah Lance had a sword and he impressed Keith. And then it all went downhill from there because Keith turned Lance’s game against him and he had that smug look, those dark eyes, and that voice that somehow made Lance’s knees turn to food goo. And what the hell did Keith even mean when he told Lance they could work on his timing? Was he insinuating they could…nope, no, not even gonna go there. Lance was the lover boy, the flirt, not Keith with his pretty hair and who did he think he was out-flirting Lance?

Not for the millionth time did Lance take a deep breath and shift his focus back on what he was doing. He wasn’t actively avoiding Keith, they were just both busy. Keith had been working closely with the Blade of Marmora for the past few weeks trying to find Krolia and Lance couldn’t blame him for that. And Lance, well Lance had been doing everything he could to help Red get back in working order. She was still a mangled mess but Hunk and Pidge had done a phenomenal job so far in the mechanical and electrical work. Slav and Sam also helped out. But Lance had taken it upon himself to do as much of the physical labor of restoring Red’s structural damage himself. He spent hours upon hours sanding, smoothing, painting and repairing panel after panel of Red’s damaged exterior. On days when the exterior became too monotonous, Lance moved to the interior restoring the fabric of the pilot seat, cleaning out debris and anything else he could. It was slow and tedious but Lance was determined to make Red look good as new. Each day was exhausting and left his body tired and muscles aching.

After several long grueling hours of working on Red, Lance finally called it quits and headed to his room for a shower and then bed. He decided to make a pit stop in the med bay to see if he could find something for his aching arms. They were sore after hours of moving chunks of metal all afternoon. He rummaged through a few drawers and finally found something that would work and headed to his room. Once he was finished with his shower he sat in his room with his shirt off trying to rub the Altean cream for sore muscles into his arms when there was a soft knock on his door. He ran his towel over his still damp hair and opened his door to find Keith standing there.

Lance felt his face heat up, fully aware of Keith’s eyes on him and trying to not look at his shirtless chest. Keith seemed a bit nervous shifting on his feet, “Um, can I come in?”

Lance stepped to the side, “Yeah sure.”

He tried to put his embarrassment aside as he spread the cream over his shoulders. It wasn’t like he and Keith hadn’t seen each other shirtless before. Keith was silently watching him but when Lance let out a hiss Keith broke the silence, “Are you okay?”

Lance nodded, “Just a bit sore from working on Red. Kinkade said this stuff works real good on sore muscles so I stopped at the med bay to find some.”

“You need help reaching your back?”

Lance gave a soft laugh, “Come on man. You didn’t come here to help me spread the Altean equivalent of Aspercreme all over my shoulders and arms.”

Keith reached for the jar in Lance’s hand and made a face as he scooped out a large dollop, “No, I uh…I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Lance thought he would die from embarrassment with Keith rubbing down his shoulders and back. He thought Keith’s hands would be rough, his touch a bit too firm. But no, the minute Keith started on his left shoulder Lance forgot all about any awkwardness he may have felt. Keith’s hands were soft and he applied just the right amount of pressure as he worked the cream into his aching muscles. He took his time and was methodical working his way from Lance’s left shoulder to his upper back and across to his right shoulder. He would have to remember to thank Kinkade later for the heads up on the cream.

When Keith was done Lance pulled a t-shirt over his head, “So what did you want to talk about?”

Keith nervously picked at a piece of skin on his thumb, “Kolivan found a lead on my mom. She’s definitely on that planet where you crashed.”

Lance looked up, “Keith that’s great! How soon before they get her out of there? Did Allura agree to let us head back so soon?”

Lance watched as Keith crossed his arms and looked down. It was several seconds with no reply when Lance realized something else was going on, “Keith?”

Keith blinked rapidly and looked up at the ceiling, “Allura didn’t agree to anything. I…Kolivan is sending a team to meet the Atlas and I’ll be heading out with them in a few days.”

When Lance didn’t say anything, Keith bit his bottom lip and grabbed Lance’s arm, “Look this isn’t like last time Lance. I need to….this is my mom and I have to go. She could be hurt.”

Lance pulled Keith’s hand from his arm and held onto it, “I get it Keith. I would do the same thing for my family. But, is there some way you can wait for the Atlas to send back up? You don’t have to do this alone.”

Keith shook his head, “Kolivan thinks it’s not safe at all and we need to get her out as quick as possible. Any delay could mean her life. Lance, I can’t lose her.”

Lance nodded, “Ok.”

Keith looked up in shock, “Ok? That’s it?”

“I promised you I would do whatever it takes to help you find your mom and I meant it Keith. I’m not gonna back out just because things are a little harder than we expected.”

Lance felt Keith’s eyes on him but he just waited, “You’ve changed.”

Lance shrugged, “War does that to you. We’ve all changed. Now, what is it that you need me to do?”

Keith stared at Lance for a few minutes, his eyes hardened and his lips pressed together in a thin line, “I need you to stay behind with the rest of the team.”

“Are you sure?”

Keith nodded, “If something happens before I get back, I want you to fly Black.”

Lance felt his legs get a bit weak. His voice was raspy and barely a whisper, “Keith, I…but you’re the Black Paladin….I…”

Keith gripped both of Lance’s shoulders, “You were able to fly her when I was poisoned. With Red still out of commission you’ll still have a lion available to use. And I know you can lead the team. You’ve done it before and you’re good at it. There’s no one else I would want to fly her in my absence.”

Lance wanted to argue but Keith was looking at him with a determination that he saw when they were in battle. It was a hard fierce look, but it didn’t scare Lance. It was just the opposite in fact; it made Lance feel trusted, it made him feel important, useful.  There was something about Keith wanting him to fly Black. He wasn’t just needed he was wanted and that was something new. But the doubt was still there, “What about Shiro?”

Keith just shook his head, “Shiro has to fly the Atlas. If something happens he’s the only one that can unlock the transformation sequence.”

Lance’s voice was barely a whisper, “But why me?”

Keith still had Lance’s shoulders and he gave them a gentle shake to make Lance look at him, “Because there is no one else I trust to lead our team, no one else I trust to keep everyone safe.”

 So Lance did the only thing he could, he nodded. “Okay. Okay if anything happens I’ll fly Black, but just until you get back.”

Keith grinned, “Good. Tomorrow I want you with me when I tell the others what’s going on.”

Two days later and Lance knows what’s coming. He’s seen this before but he didn’t know just how bad his chest would ache, how much his heart would try to beat out of his chest with worry and dread. It’s one thing to worry about your teammate when you’re in the heat of battle, but it’s a whole different sort of worry when they are going to be galaxies away where you can’t get to them in a moment’s notice and Lance hates it. He hates knowing Keith will be putting himself in a dangerous situation and he won’t be there to watch his back. Lance pushes the nagging thought that something isn’t right about this mission out of his head and watches as Keith stands next to Kolivan, the pair of them going over their plans with Shiro. The Atlas will maintain their course and their search for Honerva while Keith heads out to help rescue Krolia. Keith will meet back with them when Krolia is safe. Lance can only pray to whatever gods are out there that the mission goes as planned.

Lance watches as Keith shakes hands with Griffin and Kinkade. Allura only gives him a curt nod and he can see the hurt in Keith’s eyes. He really wishes the two of them weren’t so at odds with each other all of a sudden. Keith moves on and gives Pidge a fist bump and before he can say anything to Hunk he’s pulled Keith into a massive hug and lifted him off the ground. Keith’s laugh lessens the constricted feeling from his chest if only momentarily. And then Keith is standing in front of Lance and it’s just how Lance remembers.

Keith is in his Blade of Marmora suit; Lance is standing in front of him and reaches forward to push a lock of hair from his forehead and gently cups Keith’s face with both of his hands. Keith leans forward just as Lance presses a soft kiss to Keith’s lips. It’s not even a kiss, just a brushing of their lips, a barely there sensation. Keith wipes his thumb under Lance’s eye, “We need to work on your timing.”

Lance let’s out a wet chuckle, “We’ll work on it when you get back.”

Keith hands Lance the black bayard and Lance shakes his head, “No Keith, that’s your bayard.”

Keith places it in Lance’s hand and closes his fingers over the handle, “Just in case.”

Lance stares at the bayard in his hand, “I can’t.”

“You can.”

Lance takes a shuddering breath, “Just until you get back.”

Keith nods and he and Lance close the distance and their foreheads touch and their eyes are closed. He wraps his arms around Lance, “Keep everyone safe until I get back sharpshooter.”

Lance whispers softly, “Stay safe samurai. Come back to me.”

Keith leans back just enough to look in Lance’s eyes. His voice is soft but full of that fire and determination that Lance is so used to from Keith, “Roger that Team Leader.”

 

In the days following Keith’s departure, Lance throws himself into repairing Red. He isolates himself to the point that he eats at separate times from everyone else, he hides in his room if he’s not working on Red, and he rarely sits in to give his input on helping more planets join the coalition. It isn’t until late one night that Shiro finds Lance staring at a projection of Earth’s solar system, something he hasn’t done since the beginning when they first left in Blue.

“You’ve been quiet lately.”

Lance doesn’t say anything, just continues to stare at the Milky Way. If the silence bothers Shiro he doesn’t let it show. Instead he places his hand on Lance’s shoulder, “You know Keith has always been a tough kid growing up. It got him into a lot of trouble at the Garrison as you know, but it also kept him alive.”

Lance presses a button and the image zooms onto Earth and the stretch of desert near the Garrison. He spins the image until it’s showing the small island of Cuba and then with a swipe of his hand he clears the screen and slumps into a nearby chair. He rests his head in his hands and takes several deep breaths and looks up at Shiro, “I have this feeling that something isn’t right. I don’t know what it is or why I feel that way. I trust the Blade, I trust Kolivan, and I trust Keith. I sit in on the calls from Keith and the feeling disappears but the second that transmission ends the feeling returns.”

Shiro sits in a chair near Lance, “Can you tell me what it feels like? Maybe talking it out will help you understand why you’re feeling this way?”

Lance doesn’t say anything right away, but he bites his bottom lip as he tries to find the words to explain how he feels, “Do you remember when we realized Naxzela was a bomb? There was this dread, this feeling in my gut that just made me sick to my stomach. It was such a helpless feeling, so hopeless. And I feel like that now.”

Shiro leaned back in his chair and gave Lance a thoughtful look, “Do you think it would help to talk to Oshi? We’re near Bingjhi and maybe she would have some insight.” Lance looked up in shock, “You don’t think I’m crazy or losing my mind?”

“Why would I think that?”

Lance leveled him a glare, “Because I’m sitting here going on and on about how I have this horrible feeling in my gut because Keith is gone. I’m acting like some love struck teenager pouting because they can’t see their crush.”

“Lance, your instincts are pretty good. You were the one who knew something was off with the clone that Haggar sent. You were also the one to realize Rover was a fake right before that bomb went off. So no, I do not think you’re crazy. What I do know is that you and Keith have this connection and Oshi may be the only one who may have some answers for you.”

Lance ducked his head and let his shoulders sag. He didn’t realize how much he needed to talk this out. He knew he should have done this sooner but he was just as stubborn as any pilot of the Red Lion should be. He wiped at his eyes, “Thanks Shiro. I think that may be a good idea.”

 Shiro stood up and gave Lance’s shoulders a couple of pats, “Go and get you some rest. We’ll see about meeting up with Oshi and getting you some answers in the next couple of days.”

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

“It is good to see you again Red Paladin.”

Lance gives Oshi a small smile. “Thank you. I um…I know this is out of the blue but uh….do you think you could answer some questions for me about this bond that I have with Keith?”

Oshi tilted her head and considered Lance for a moment. She gave a curt nod, “Why don’t we talk in the library. I will make certain that we are alone and our conversation is private.”

Once they reached the library Oshi sat down and motioned for Lance to do the same, “So what is it that you would like to ask me about Red Paladin?”

Lance bit at a piece of skin on his thumb then hastily shoved his hands in his lap, “I was wondering if because of this bond, is it possible to know if something is wrong? I mean would it allow me to know if Keith was in trouble or something like that?”

“Is there a specific incident that comes to mind?”

Lance takes a deep breath and tells Oshi about Keith being away to bring back Krolia and the feeling of dread that sits in his gut constantly. “I guess I just want to know if this is because of the bond or am I just over-reacting? Should I just not worry so much?”

Oshi sat back and mulled over Lance’s questions, “I must admit I do not know the answer to your question. Perhaps it is the distance between you and your Bing-Mahn-Na that is allowing the inner turmoil. I do not know if distance or as you say your own anxiety but you are connected in ways that no one else can comprehend. I know it is not the answer you seek, but it is the only one I can give.”

Lance let out a sigh, “I appreciate your honesty Oshi. I just wish…..”

Oshi nodded, “You wish for your Bing-Mahn-Na to be safe. You wish for the certainty that all is well.”

Oshi stood from her chair and beckoned Lance to follow her. She walked to the far end of the library and opened a glass cabinet. From inside she pulled out two large books and handed them both to Lance. She gave Lance a conspiratorial smile, “I feel I must tell you that these two books have not gotten much use out of them because my people never thought we would see Bing-Mahn-Na in our lifetime. It has been foretold many many years ago. However, as you are asking questions that I cannot answer, perhaps these will help.”

Lance shifted the books to get a better grip so he wouldn’t drop them, “What are these for?”

“Those books hold the account of the very first telling about the coming of the Bing-Mahn-Na and all that is known about the legend. I guess you could say you are holding your own story in your hands.”

Lance nearly dropped the books at that and Oshi let out a soft chuckle. He tried to give them back, “I can’t take this. This is part of the history of your people.”

Oshi placed a hand on the books and pressed them to Lance’s chest, “They have been long forgotten. The stories are only told when the elders are feeling sentimental. Perhaps they hold the answers you seek.”

Lance licked his lips and tried to swallow through the dryness in his throat, “I don’t know what to say.”

Oshi smiled and bowed her head, “You don’t have to say anything Red Paladin.”

Lance nodded and gripped the books a bit tighter, “thank you.”

Just as Lance was leaving he turned back, “Oshi, can I ask you one more question?”

“Of course.”

“How did you know that Keith and I were, I mean all of your people saw something. What was it that you saw?”

Oshi gave Lance a truly blinding smile, “I am glad you asked. Follow me Red Paladin.”

Lance put the books on a nearby table and when he looked up his jaw dropped open. There in front of him was a life-size painting of the day Keith was poisoned. Lance remembered that day all too well but the moment that was captured in the painting Lance remembered even more. He was supporting Keith with an arm around his waist, his bayard was in the form of the Altean Broadsword and the tip was pointed at Elias’ neck. Allura had a hand on his forearm trying to get him to lower his sword and just behind him on either side were Pidge and Hunk. In the background were the lions and hovering just above them were the MFE’s. The painting was rich with detail and color, each Paladin looked like a still life portrait. Lance felt as if he could walk right into the moment that was captured, but what really stole his breath was the details around Keith and himself.  In the picture, Lance’s normally ocean blue eyes were an icy blue. There was a hardness to his face and stance that screamed protection. But the most astounding feature was the glow surrounding him and Keith. It wasn’t so much that it surrounded them but that it came from them. They seemed to emit light itself, but it wasn’t even really light, it was as if their edges were blurred or distorted behind a wave of intense heat and the sword that Lance was holding seemed to glow as if it were just pulled from a firing kiln.

Lance blinked several times and then turned to Oshi, “This is what you saw?”

Oshi nodded, “This is how I and all of my people saw the two of you.”

“How were you….why were you and your people able to see this but no one else can?”

Oshi stepped forward and pressed a hand to Lance’s chest, “The Bingjhi have a gift that allows us to see the true heart of a person. This is your true heart Red Paladin. It is also the true heart of your Black Paladin. It is who you have always been.”

 

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

Lance is propped up in his bed with one of the books from Oshi. He opens the cover and turns the first few pages with care. Even though they are ages old, the books have been well preserved and the pages are not as brittle and fragile as he would have expected. He gets a couple of pages in when a paragraph makes him snort.

_The two who are born of fire will be identical in their hearts. They will both burn brighter than any sun in any universe and their fire will rebuild what has been destroyed._

Lance shook his head. There’s no way any one could possibly think that he and Keith were in any way similar. They were so opposite. Lance was the Blue Paladin and Keith was the Red Paladin and you couldn’t get more opposite then fire and water. What was that saying, something about getting along like oil and water? Yea, that was Keith and Lance in the beginning. But now? Maybe they were alike. They both were chosen by Red, so maybe there was some truth there.

Sometime while reading Lance must have dozed off because he woke up with a start. He wasn’t sure what woke him up but the hairs on his arms were standing up and the back of his neck prickled with unease. He looked around his room taking in his surroundings but nothing was out of place. He grabbed the book he was reading and marked his place and set it on his desk still trying to determine what it was that him feeling so uneasy.

Lance stood in the middle of his room and turned on the spot taking in every inch of the walls, listening for any sound and then he froze in place. His blood felt like ice and he shivered. Without even thinking he grabbed his bayard on his desk and ran. He made it to the bridge in record time and stopped. No one was panicked, everything was running as normal.

Sam spotted Lance first and looked him over with concern, “Lance, are you ok?”

Lance just stared at Sam but wasn’t really seeing him. He still had that feeling of being doused in ice and he was shaking from head to toe. “I don’t know. Something isn’t right.”

Veronica pulled up a quick systems check on the Atlas, “Everything is operating as normal.”

Lance just shook his head, “Where’s Shiro?”

Veronica turned in her seat, “I’ll call him.”

Before Veronica could call for Shiro over the comms he walked in with Curtis and Coran just behind him. Lance didn’t even have time to say anything when one of the screens flashed with an incoming transmission. Lance felt everything tilt dangerously when Kolivan’s face came into focus cut and bleeding, bruises shaped suspiciously like hand prints around his neck, his voice raspy and sounding as if he had been running a marathon, “We were ambushed.”

Lance could only grip the bayard in his hand tighter, turning his knuckles painfully white. At that moment there was a rumble that shook the Atlas and Lance felt it down to his bones when both the Black Lion and the Red Lion roared in fury. Lance shook with fear at the knowledge that Red, who hadn’t responded to anything since the crash was now roaring more furiously than the Black Lion. Lance turned and ran not realizing the bayard in his hand wasn’t the red one, but the black one that Keith had handed him just before he left. As he ran to the hanger where the Black Lion was located only one word repeated over and over, “Keith.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that's reading this, leaving kudos, bookmarking, and leaving comments. I love each and everyone of you!


	12. I'll Always Find My Way To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finds his mom, but at what price?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter full of new triggers so if I missed something please let me know. There's some dark magic, torture, blood, and violence. I don't think it's a whole lot, I try to keep it pretty tame and if anyone feels I need to up the ratings just let me know. I definitely don't want to upset anyone by accidentally missing something that may trigger them.
> 
> Also the formatting is a bit different for this chapter because of some time jumps. I had to sort of go back in time and then bring it back to the present to where some of the story overlapped with the previous chapter.

**Two Weeks Before----**

The gravitational pull of the planet was just as awful as Keith remembered. It took everything he had not to lose control of the small cruiser he was in and crash into the dense forest near the base Kolivan’s team had spotted just days earlier. The scouts had confirmation that Krolia was indeed being held in there but whether or not she was hurt was yet to be determined. Keith was quietly making his way through a darkened hallway, his senses on high alert as his eyes darted about taking in his teammates’ movements and the suspiciously empty rooms they passed. Keith was on high alert as just moments ago the scanners picked up several heat signatures and at least sixty sentries throughout. Now there was no one to be found.

Keith stopped and listened to the soft trill that came from somewhere to his left. He pulled his blade out and moved slowly towards the left corridor. At the end of the corridor was a large metal door and a flicker of eerie blue light coming from the crack under the door. There was no lock, only a large metal handle and Keith grabbed it and turned slowly. The creak from the handle seemed to echo suspiciously loud in the empty corridor. He pushed the door in and winced at the sound of the heavy door scraping against the floor as it opened. The room was bare, just cold metal walls and a cold metal floor with only one light flickering ominously overhead. Directly ahead of Keith, chained to the far wall was Krolia. She had a large cut bleeding into her right eye and her hair was matted and tangled. She was filthy and barely conscious but at the sound of the door opening she lifted her head and at the sight of Keith her eyes widened in what could only be described as fear.

Keith dropped his blade and ran to his mom. He lifted her head gently and wiped at the blood on her face. His voice was soft and sounded suspiciously wet, “Mom. Don’t worry I’m going to get you out of here. Kolivan is here. We have help, you’re safe now.”

Keith reached up to undo the cuffs at her wrist and she leaned forward and hissed into Keith’s ear, “You need to leave now.”

Keith unclasped the first cuff and shifted to undo the second cuff. He maneuvered carefully so that he could support Krolia’s weight. He didn’t flinch when she squeezed his arm with her free hand, her nails digging into his bicep, “Keith run. It’s a trap.”

Keith stepped back and stared at Krolia, the words sinking in. The temperature in the small room seemed to dropped almost instantly and there was a gravelly sounding laugh that echoed throughout. Keith turned just as there was a sickening snick of blade slicing through flesh and the solid drop of a body. There outlined in the doorway was Kolivan, “We have to go now.”

Keith grabbed his mom’s arm and slung it around his shoulder, “Can you run?”

Krolia’s lips pressed into a thin line and she gave a curt nod. At the door Keith stopped long enough to kick his blade with a foot and flip it in the air and catch it with his free hand. Krolia’s breath was coming in labored puffs and Keith could tell she was fighting not to cry out in pain. She was probably sporting a few busted ribs and who knew what other injuries if her face was anything to go by but her footsteps remained true with Keith holding her up. As they ran, lights flickered up and down the deserted hallways they had passed through from before and the muffled sounds of sentry’s footsteps could be heard.

As they rounded the last corner Keith let out a frustrated growl. Of course the exit was blocked and several other Blade members were already engaged in combat. They were far outnumbered but Keith only needed to create a small gap, just enough to get his mom out of there. A sentry fell and a gun was kicked at Krolia’s feet. Keith bent down to pick up the gun and hand it to his mom, “Can you fight?”

Krolia nodded, “I have your back son.”

Keith’s blade flashed purple and elongated and then he joined the fight. They would have all made it if it hadn’t been for the druid. They could have all gotten away if it hadn’t appeared out of nowhere. Keith made the mistake of looking away for just a split second, looking over his shoulder to make sure Kolivan and his mom made it through the exit. It was a split second too long when he realized his mistake. There was a sharp pain as a cold hand gripped his face and what felt like an electric shock through his entire body and then the world went black.

**Nine Days Before---**

Keith’s left eye no longer opens when he regains consciousness. His blade uniform has been replaced by standard Galra prison rags and his blade is nowhere on his person. He’s not even sure where he is anymore. The only thing he is sure of is that he is no longer on the planet from before because his body doesn’t feel the tale-tell gravitational pull. The door rattles in front of him and he grits his teeth and does his best to pull himself into a standing position trying not to scream out and wincing at the pain in his probably, most likely, dislocated shoulder. It’s not easy to do when your hands and feet are shackled to the wall. As usual Haggar or possibly Honerva, whatever she calls herself these days, is there flanked by two druids. She strides forward and stares at Keith with disdain evident in her eyes.

“What have you done with Lotor?”

Keith stares right back, “We left him in the rift. I told you this already.”

Honerva grabs his chin pulls his face forward, “How did Voltron escape?”

Keith doesn’t answer which causes Honerva to squeeze his jaw painfully. Keith jerks his head back and bares his teeth with a growl. This only gets him a blast of something from one of the druids. He can’t hold back the scream of pain when that happens. It doesn’t seem to have an effect on Honerva as she still has a strong grip on his chin, “Where are the Lions?”

“I don’t know and even if I did I would never tell you.”

Honerva tilts her head to the side and gives Keith a calculating stare, “We’ll see about that Paladin.”

Keith doesn’t look away, “Try me witch.”

Honerva increases her grip on Keith’s jaw until he feels something pop. She places her other hand to his forehead and Keith feels a searing hot pain. His knees buckle at the blinding intensity as she sifts through his memories. He barely registers Honerva’s voice, “Call the Black Lion.”

Keith’s eyes are rolling to the back of his head but he focuses just long enough to spit out one word, “No.”

Honerva doesn’t take too kindly to being rejected and she releases a bolt of magic that sends Keith careening into the wall and his head makes a sickening crack. He feels everything tilt dangerously and he’s hit with an intense bout of dizziness and nausea and then everything goes dangerously dark just as it does after every other encounter with Honerva.

**Four Days Before----**

Keith is no longer aware of time passing. He’s barely able to discern whether or not he’s truly awake or not. The only thing he knows is constant pain. His body aches, his head throbs, and he can’t stand or pull himself up. He just hangs uselessly with the shackles as his only support. He thinks his jaw might be broken as well. He’s unable to chew any food, not that he gets food, just mush which he’s barely able to swallow. Most of it he just coughs up unable to swallow anything other than the stale water that’s given to him hardly ever. It’s probably just enough to keep him alive.

Keith is unsure if Honerva no longer asks him any questions or if he’s just not lucid enough to respond. Apparently today she decides she’s had enough. Keith can’t even try to fight back when she places both of her hands on his forehead, her nails digging sharply causing pinpricks of blood to form. And then Keith is screaming. He can’t even catch his breath, his entire body trembles and jerks, his head slams back against the wall but it’s not enough to cause him to lose consciousness. He sees flashes; Pidge, Lance, Hunk, fire, Shiro, Lance again, the Garrison, Earth, fire, Allura, his dad, Adam, forming Voltron, fire, Lance, Oshi, Lance again, Coran, more fire, the Red Lion, fire, intense heat, Lance again, Keith’s skin is melting and he’s screaming, Lance, always Lance, the Black Lion, fire, the room is on fire and he’s screaming with the pain and the heat. Suddenly there’s a scream that isn’t his but Honerva refuses to release him. They both continue to scream as Keith burns from the inside out and then suddenly he feels something churning in his gut and he feels both the Red and the Black Lion roaring and then everything stops. Just before Keith loses consciousness again he hears Honerva, her voice ragged and laced with pain and even though he doesn’t know what it means he feels a shiver through his body when she speaks, “It is done.”  


**Present Day----**

Keith’s breath is labored; he feels his chest rattle with every inhale. He’s not even sure when the last time someone came to bring him food much less water. His lips are dry and bleeding and his mouth tastes of copper and feels as if it’s stuffed with cotton. He feels as if he’s in a waking dream because his body feels floaty and light which somewhere in the back of his mind he knows can’t be a good thing. But then his senses come into sharp relief and he’s feeling a strong sense of déjà vu. He’s been here before, but instead of seeing it from afar he’s living it out, he’s seen this exact scene play out but it doesn’t bring a sense of relief it only brings dread because he can only think of those words, “It is done.”

It’s just as he remembered, this time there are guards instead of druids opening the door to the small cell he’s been in for days, possibly weeks. Today is different not just because there are guards, but it’s an army of guards and Keith knows they are coming to collect him, his time has probably just run out. Just as the door opens, everything starts shaking, debris is falling from the ceiling and without warning there’s a massive hole in one of the walls. The hole is replaced by the face of the Black Lion and her eyes are glowing. She lets out a roar that has the guards rooted in place and there standing in her open maw is Lance looking every bit of an avenging angel. Lance is beautiful in his fiery anger and Keith can’t look away. Lance is fire personified. His helmet is gone, his hair is fluttering wildly, and his eyes are an icy blue, so cold they burn, and his sword in his left hand seems to spark. Keith barely registers that the sword in Lance's hand is black and not red. He’s completely outlined in a fiery red-orange hue. He seems to be engulfed in flames leaving scorching footprints as he walks forward. Keith thinks if he was wearing the red paladin armor he would be terrifying. The majority of the guards are running in abject fear at the sight of the Black Lion and Lance. The three guards that remain rush towards Lance but they never stood a chance. Lance lifts his sword and swings it in deadly precision, flames licking off the edges and within seconds they are no more.

Keith’s head falls to the side in his weakened state and with the threat of guards gone, Lance rushes forward and makes quick work of the chains at Keith’s wrists and ankles. Keith lets out a strangled whisper when hands gently cup his face and he feels the hot tears spill over his cheeks terrified that this is just a fever dream, “Lance.”

Even as gentle as Lance is with Keith, he can’t help the whimpers and the hisses with every move of his body. Lance is supporting most of Keith’s weight as he maneuvers the two of them out of the cell and Keith’s body tenses with fear at the sight of Honerva before them. She throws her head back and lets out a horrific sounding laugh that makes Keith’s hair stand on end.

“This is what Voltron sends me? You are the best they have to save your fellow teammate?”

Keith wants to lunge forward and rip her throat out but he can barely hold his head up.

Honerva continues, “Tell me something. What do you have to say for yourself and your sorry attempt at a rescue now that you are facing me, the most powerful sorcerer and wielder of quintessence? What is it you wish to tell me now that you are facing your most certain death, Paladin?”

Lance tightens his grip on Keith and Keith can almost feel the smirk as Lance responds, “Not today bitch.”

There’s another rumble as more walls come tumbling down around them and Keith can see the anger in Honerva’s eyes. But when he looks around he sees the other three lions, all four MFE fighters, and the Atlas hovering nearby. Honerva lifts her hands and suddenly the Blue Lion is between them and Honerva with a roar and a blast of laser fire allowing Lance time to get Keith into the Black Lion.  

**Twelve Days Later-----**

Keith opens his eyes to a swishing sound and he jolts forward. He blinks rapidly and other than an overwhelming grogginess he catalogs the fact that his body is not in pain. His knees buckle and he jerks back when one human hand and one metal hand reach forward to steady him.

“Woah, Keith it’s okay you’re safe.”

Keith stumbles back and stares, recognition and wariness fill his eyes and he takes note of his surroundings. He’s in the Atlas, the med bay to be exact, the lights are dimmed for the night cycle so it must be late. Keith takes several deep breaths and tips forward allowing those arms to catch him. Keith lets out a ragged breath, “Shiro.”

“Yea kiddo, I’m here.”

The med bay door swishes open and Keith looks up and pushes away from Shiro and trips forward as Krolia catches him in a bone crushing hug. Keith grips at the fabric of her uniform and if he holds on a little longer than necessary no one says anything, and if Krolia squeezes him to the point of almost being painful Keith doesn’t say anything to that, and if both of them shed a few tears, well there’s no one other than Shiro to see it and he isn’t telling because he’s shedding a few of his own tears.

Shiro leads Keith down the hall to the communal showers, “What happened with Honerva?”

Shiro sighs, “She got away but everyone else is safe.”

Keith nods. He grips the Garrison issued sweatpants and shirt Shiro handed him, “How long has it been?”

Shiro stopped and gave Keith a concerned look, “Keith, I don’t think this is something we should discuss right now.”

Keith let out a sigh, “Shiro I’m fine.”

Shiro held up his hands, “I know. I promise we’ll talk about everything but you need rest. Your body has been through a lot of trauma and even though the healing pod did its job you still need sleep.”

Keith’s shoulders slump in resignation. He knows Shiro is right, he can feel the fatigue hitting him and he really does need a shower.

Once he’s clean Shiro walks him to his room. Keith asks, “Where is everyone else?”

“Hopefully sleeping. Everyone has been really worried about you. They’ll all be glad that you’re out of the pod.”

Keith nods and when they reach Keith’s door, Shiro pulls him into another hug, “Don’t scare me like that again okay?”

Keith’s voice is muffled shoved up against Shiro’s chest as if he’s still that thirteen year old, touch-starved orphan from long ago, “I’m sorry.”

Shiro tightens his grip on Keith, “You don’t have to apologize, I’m just glad you’re okay. Get some rest.”

When Keith finally makes his way into his room he stops and has to make sure he’s in the right place. He sees the black bayard on his desk and next to it his knife that he thought he had lost when he got captured, he can see his red paladin uniform hanging up through the slightly open closet door, but there’s one glaringly obvious thing out of place which makes him question if this is room.

There hugging one of his pillows his Lance. He’s spread out on top of the sheets and he’s wearing what appears to be Keith’s black t-shirt and a pair of Garrison sweats. But there’s something at the sight of Lance that releases some unknown tension that Keith didn’t know he was feeling. The underlying anxiety of his ordeal that was just beneath the surface of his skin seemed to shrink away. He felt his body start to tremble and not as a residual effect of the healing pod. His skin seemed to burn at the sight of Lance and his feet moved of their own accord.

Keith isn’t sure how he didn’t wake up Lance because there was nothing graceful about any of his movements. He yanked the pillow from Lance’s grasp and tossed it to the floor and just like an attention seeking cat he climbed on the bed and pushed his way into Lance’s arms and tucked his head under Lance’s chin. He wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist, tangled his legs together with Lance’s legs, and took a deep breath breathing in everything Lance. Everything begins to uncoil, Keith’s muscles start to relax, his breath slowly begins to even out and he’s in the in between stage of wakefulness and sleep, more asleep than awake, and just as his eyes flutter shut one last time and sleep pulls him under, he feels a hand in his hair and a press of lips on his forehead.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch my subtle Game of Thrones reference? I wanted Lance to have another bad-ass moment!!

**Author's Note:**

> [follow me on tumblr if you want to ask about any of my works!](http://jenni1229.tumblr.com/)


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